Machine may replace manpower for pothole repairs on roads

April 17, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:47 am IST - CHENNAI:

One of the machines for pothole repair screened on Wednesday on the premises of Ripon buildings. Photo: Handout

One of the machines for pothole repair screened on Wednesday on the premises of Ripon buildings. Photo: Handout

Soon repairing of potholes on the roads will not require intervention of manual labourers as the Chennai Corporation has started exploring technology to automate the process.

A demo of the technology in use for the improvement of road conditions was organised at the Ripon Buildings on Wednesday.

Senior officials of the civic body screened the technology for identifying optimum civic use. The technology screened included a machine which was capable of carrying out a series of tasks including cleaning the pothole, mixing bitumen, pouring the concrete and rolling.

“We will identify technology for improvement of the process of pothole repairs. The existing system needs improvement,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.

Currently, the civic body uses the services of manual labourers under the Union Government wage employment programme for carrying out repair of potholes, in case of minor ones. But most of the work pertaining to pothole repair is being done by manual labourers deployed by private contractors only weeks after being reported by residents or councillors.

On many stretches, the potholes remain unrepaired. 

After every spell of rain most of the 33000 roads in the city have been developing potholes because of illegal road cuts and traffic diversions. Some of the opposition party councillors have also stressed the need for speedy repair of potholes.

A demo of the equipment was organised at

Ripon Buildings

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