BHUBANESWAR: The state government directed the departments concerned to take up immediate repair of roads in urban areas and ensure filling up of potholes and cover of the roadside drains on mission mode.
This comes after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s recent instruction for necessary measures in this regard to enhance urban infrastructure and ensure public safety across ULBs, said officials of the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department. The repair and restoration work is also necessary in view of the Durga Puja and other festivals in the ongoing festive season, the directive stated.
H&UD principal secretary Usha Padhee has asked the authorities of Works and Rural Development departments and National Highways Authority of India to comply strictly with the CM’s instructions and ensure repair of all roads passing through urban areas.
Padhee asked authorities of both the departments and NHAI to undertake immediate survey, jointly with the urban local bodies, to identify and geo-tag all damaged and pothole-ridden roads and assess the status of roadside drains adjoining them. “Priority must be given to roads having market areas, hospitals, educational institutions, accident-prone zones and densely populated wards,” she stated.
“All potholes must be repaired and resurfaced in a durable manner, while open drains along roads must be covered with RCC slabs to ensure safety and hygiene and prevent accidents,” Padhee added.
She further urged the heads of all the ULBs to repair potholes in roads falling under their jurisdictions and cover all drains along roads in the urban areas with concrete slabs. All works must be completed by March next year, she said.