The Pothole Paradox: NMC Claims It’s Repairing More, Roads Remain Broken

Nagpur: A recent survey conducted by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) public works department has shed light on the alarming state of the city’s roads. The survey of 451 tar roads across the city revealed that the roads maintained by NMC are riddled with potholes, creating dangerous conditions for motorists and fuelling widespread frustration.The survey uncovered a staggering 714 potholes on roads under NMC jurisdiction, followed by 218 potholes across 49 roads maintained by the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). In case of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), 20 potholes were identified on just 11 of its roads. On the three roads under the state’s Public Works Department (PWD), 16 potholes were spotted. Even MahaMetro’s lone road was not exempt from scrutiny, with one pothole being identified on it. The survey also revealed seven potholes scattered across roads managed by three other local agencies.

NMC has been facing mounting public ire over the state of its roads. Since July 8, NMC claims to have repaired 2,298 potholes across the city, yet many of the roads remain in a deplorable condition. Motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, continue to face significant dangers from the pothole-ridden roads, raising concerns about the increasing risk of accidents.Dharampeth emerged as the worst-affected zone, with the NMC’s hotmix department and Jet Patcher technology being deployed to repair 504 potholes in the area alone. Despite these efforts, the extent of the damage has left many roads in the zone still hazardous for motorists.In Lakadganj zone, 271 potholes have been repaired, and in Mangalwari zone, 266 potholes have been patched up. Hanuman Nagar fared slightly better with 84 potholes repaired, and all the 227 potholes in Dhantoli zone were fixed by NMC’s hotmix department.A detailed look at the NMC’s zone-wise breakdown reveals that 224 potholes were recorded and subsequently repaired in Laxmi Nagar zone. Nehru Nagar followed closely behind, with 197 potholes patched. Gandhibagh zone saw 114 potholes fixed, and Ashi Nagar recorded 230. Satranjipura was another badly affected zone, where 266 potholes were mended.Despite these repairs, many citizens feel that NMC’s efforts have been insufficient to address the scale of the problem, with potholes still plaguing roads and causing significant inconvenience. Citizens of several areas have urged the NMC to expedite its repairs and implement more sustainable long-term solutions.The danger posed by these potholes is not limited to just vehicular damage. Many accidents involving two-whleers as well as four-wheelers have been reported across the city due to unexpected potholes on busy roads and flyovers like MahaMetro’s double-decker Wardha road flyover. These incidents have raised questions about the quality of the repairs being carried out.