Torrential rain peels off road layer, leaves craters

Bhubaneswar: The torrential rain that lashed the capital city a few days back has left city roads filled with craters and potholes. With the festive season round the corner, commuters are facing immense problems while driving. Besides, some craters are so big that they are posing a grave risk to the lives of riders.
After the upper layer of the roads were washed away in the rain, dust and sand particles have made commuting difficult and dangerous too.
Numerous potholes have surfaced on major roads of the city like the Janpath, Sachivalaya Marg, Cuttack-Puri Road, Nandankanan road, and roads in Nayapalli, Palaspalli, Rasulgarh and Baramunda. Apart from the main roads, the bylanes and interior roads inside the city have been badly damaged in the heavy rain.
“I am really frightened to drive my bike on these roads that are dotted with big potholes. Sometimes those look like craters. I go to pick my child from school on a scooter and have a scarry ride,” said Supriya Mahalik, an IT professional, who stays in the Behera Sahi area of the city.
Motorcyclists were wary of driving through these stretches with big potholes which are hardly visible in the dark posing a great risk to lives. Drivers could be seen swerving and maneuvering on these roads.
“Travel time in the city has also increased due to the bad road conditions. Traffic is bound to slow down when there are so many potholes on the road, leading to snarls. These days, I keep at least 30 minutes extra time in hand so that I can reach my destination on time,” said Niladrish Pati, a mechanical engineer.
BMC commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said as all major roads are under the public works department (PWD), it will be asked to repair the roads. The roads may be patched up but major repair will begin after those are damaged in the rain again. “We have coordination meetings regularly with the PWD and will ask them to do the repairs before Durga Puja,” he added.