VIJAYAWADA: City roads might take a turn for the better as Municipal Corporation commissioner J Nivas instructed the engineering department officials to take up repair works for the roads which have been damaged due to incessant rain on a war footing.In several localities, pothole riddled roads are causing a nightmare to motorists and most of them complain of chronic conditions like back pain and spondylitis. On Wednesday, the civic body chief inspected Balaji Nagar Karakatta Road and Water tank road in Krishna Lanka locality where roads are in an abominable state, filled with potholes following rains.
He asked officials not to follow conventional procedures in road repair works. Nivas directed them to immediately prepare estimates for road repair works and deploy necessary staff to fill the potholes with BT Emulsion and Shellmac cold mix, which would last more than conventional BT mix.
As part of his inspection, Nivas also inspected other roads in the locality and inquired from officials about the delay in recarpeting them. He asked the officials to make use of the 14th Finance Commission Funds and repair the roads in Krishna Lanka locality on a war footing as several commuters are complaining about the poor condition of the roads.
However, VMC Superintendent Engineer P Adiseshu blamed heavy rains lashing the city for the deplorable condition of the roads and maintained that the roads could be fixed only after the rains stop. He claimed that if roads are asphalted during the rains, it wouldn’t last. He said it would not be possible to set an assured deadline given the unpredictable weather conditions. “The city has been receiving continuous downpour. To fill the potholes, we need to use wet mix, along with asphalt. We are waiting for good sunshine,” he said. Adiseshu informed that a majority of the roads in the city were laid during Krishna Pushkaralu last year.