VIJAYAWADA: The recent spell of rains have once again compounded the woes of residents as several major and arterial roads across the city, particularly in areas like One Town, Bhavanipuram, Moghalrajpuram, Ajit Singh Nagar, Vidyadharapuram and Kothapet, were badly damaged.One of the worst-affected road stretches is between Ramarajya Nagar and Chanumolu Venkata Rao flyover via Kabela which got damaged badly due to heavy vehicular movement. Stones underneath the top layer of the road got exposed and scattered all over, posing a danger for motorists, especially at night.
Recently, a section of residents under the aegis of TDP and Left parties staged a protest on the damaged road stretch demanding that the municipal officials look into the matter at the earliest. “A ride through this pothole-riddled road is a back-breaking journey for the motorists,” said G Balaswamy, a shopkeeper on the stretch.Similar is the case with those commuting on the Inner Ring Road (IRR) in the city. The commuters are facing a tough time dodging potholes on this stretch.
On the other hand, large potholes have surfaced on the bridges connecting Nunna and Ramavarrapadu. The IRR will help divert traffic coming from Hyderabad to the Howrah national highway at the Ramavarappadu Junction. However, at several portions, the road was damaged. “The authorities concerned should recarpet the damaged portion as there is a chance of accidents while trying to dodge the potholes,” said P Nagarjuna Reddy, a regular commuter.
Speaking to TNIE, VMC chief engineer D Mariyanna said the civic body has identified several damaged road stretches in the city and tenders for most of them had been finalised for repair works with funds from the 14th Finance Commission and general funds to a tune of `100 crore. When asked the reason for the delay in recarpeting the damaged roads in the city, he said that the road stretch between Ram Rajya Nagar and Chanumolu flyover will be taken up after the completion of side drain works, while the stretch between Jammichettu and Mother Theresa statue in Moghalrajpuram will be taken up after the installation of 33kv underground power cables by the electricity department, he said.
When it comes to recarpeting the damaged portion on the Inner Ring Road, Mariyanna said a few months ago, the APCRDA officials had carried out repair works on the damaged portion between Ramavarappadu Ring and Nunna and pavements damaged on the Inner Ring Road stretch. But due to the monsoon rains, potholes have surfaced once again.
“Recently, we have received a communication from the APCRDA officials to take up the responsibility of maintaining the entire Inner Ring Road stretch. Instructions were given to the executive engineers to prepare detailed estimates for repairing the damaged portion on IRR. Works in this regard will be taken up at the earliest,” the Chief Engineer explained.