Execution of three major development projects has taken a toll on city roads.
A delay in taking up repairs is adding to the woes of commuters, who face a tough time navigating treacherous stretches particularly during spells of heavy rain.
The three ongoing projects are: a fresh tap connections initiative under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the Asian Development Bank-funded 24x7 water supply scheme in parts of the city, and the underground cabling project funded by the World Bank and being executed by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and the A.P. Eastern Power Distribution Company.
Trenches dug up for one project or the other are in various stages of restoration, with huge potholes now dotting the roads.
For the 45,000 fresh tap connections under the AMRUT scheme in two phases, 300 km of roads have been dug up of which 250 km have been restored. Of the remaining, 30 km has been made ‘roadworthy’ by temporary restorations,’ according to sources.
For the ADB-funded project with 48,000 tap connections, 70 km of pipelines have been laid so far and roads on 30 km restored. Stretching from Seethammadhara to Indiranagar, work was also done on the service road on the National Highway-16 and the BRTS Road.
Work has almost come to a standstill with ₹100 crore released diverted by the State Government before elections, according to sources. As a result, bills of about ₹70 crore submitted by contractors are yet to be paid.
There are stiff execution benchmarks. "After a certain stretch is completed, by dummying the pipeline, a trial run is made generating the required pressure and checking for leaks. Only then can restoration on that part of the road be taken up," explains GVMC Chief Engineer M. Venkateswara Rao. On the BRTS Road, restoration has to be on par with national highway standards.
The Beach Road too has been dug up from Kurupam Circle to Pedajalaripeta for trunk main work of underground drainage under Area-based Development Smart City project.
Delayed maintenance
On an average, GVMC spends around ₹20 crore a year on maintenance of roads. However, this year, approval for expenditure on maintenance has not been taken up yet. "The process of obtaining need-based requests from newly elected people’s representatives is been going on. Besides, it is considered better to take up maintenance works after rainy season," said an official admitting that repairs needed to be taken up at the earliest.
For mending potholes, GVMC hired an agency that uses German technology and a van equipped with machinery and material. But a difficulty arose with demands to take up other repairs too. "To make best use of the ₹50 lakh annual contract, we will strictly use the agency only to repair potholes," said GVMC Superintendent Engineer (Works) P. Siva Prasada Raju.
Priority repair
The EPDCL underground cabling covers 170 km of which 70 km of kutcha roads were dug up and restored. Of the remaining 100 km, 65 km of road was restored, according to General Manager (Underground Cabling) G. Chiranjeevi Rao. The dug out trenches were closed with concrete at road level for the present and BT road will be laid later, he said.
Motorists meanwhile are at the receiving end as the roads that are yet to be restored are located in densely populated areas.
