A short stretch of road, part cement concrete (CC) and part BT, between Niloufer Hospital and MNJ Cancer Hospital has been entirely dug up by the civic authorities with the intention of re-laying, in line with the GHMC’s recent decision to repair and re-lay internal roads in the city.
However, what appals residents and passers-by is the fact that the road was laid only four years ago, and was absolutely in motorable condition before the civic officials had it broken overnight.
Chunks of concrete, six inches in thickness, lay piled up on the stretch, awaiting clearance, while the traffic of patients and attendants to and from both the hospitals struggles to negotiate their way through the rubble.
While the GHMC officials claimed that the CC road was 10 years old, and the BT road, four years, shopkeepers on the stretch vouch that even the CC road was laid just four years ago.
“We remember that the CC road was laid four years ago on the request of then director of MNJ Cancer Hospital. Before that, the road was filled with so many holes that pregnant women would be delivered of babies before reaching Niloufer Hospital,” recalled Abdul Imran, a shopkeeper from SSMNJ Medicals.
“The road was absolutely fine. Even the BT road did not need immediate repairs. When we inquired with men who were supervising the work, they replied saying they got funds, and hence spending them. They could have re-laid some other stretch. There are so many bad roads in the city,” said Vamsi Krishna, from Adarsh Medical Centre.
GHMC chief engineer (maintenance) Mohd. Ziauddin said that the CC road was over 10 years old. He said the strength of road cannot be assessed by seeing the excavated pieces, as even lean concrete could be strong but not give motorable surface.
“No new sanction has been taken for this particular road. VDCC (Vacuum De-watered Cement Concrete) road is being taken up from the savings of the main road work,” he said.
Professor and civil engineering expert from JNTU-Hyderabad K.M. Lakshmana Rao pegged the life of any CC road at a minimum of 20 years, and a maximum of 40 years.
Prof. Lakshmana Rao added that the excavated material seemed cooperative to serve for a longer time, and dismissed GHMC’s attempt to re-lay the road as “reasonless activity”.
“CC roads should be constructed with all feasibilities not to disturb for at least two decades. Sub-grade or portion beneath the CC should be well-prepared before laying the road,” he said.
Civil engineering expert with TSTransco K. Raghu, who stays in the locality, said that CC roads last for up to 40 years, and vouched that the excavated road could have served easily for 10 more years.
