Guwahati: CM
Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the PWD to prioritise closing open manholes, repairing footpaths, and refurbishing roads damaged due to flyover construction in the city ahead of the Durga Puja, which begins on Sept 28.
Most of the footpaths in the city are built over the drains. There is no footpath in many places in the city as the drains are currently under construction. The CM also directed the PWD to prepare an SOP to ensure that after removing garbage during drain cleaning, workers replace the covers properly and close the openings. He stressed that the department must treat this work with utmost importance.
Moreover, he directed the department to make the under-construction, around 5-km-long flyover stretch from Noonmati to Dighalipukhuri convenient for the public before the Durga Puja. The CM further asked the department to immediately repair key roads in the city, as well as in Cachar and Sribhumi districts in Barak Valley before the Durga Puja.
Recently, chief secretary Ravi Kota, during a review meeting, also directed the PWD, police, and Guwahati Municipal Corporation to expedite repairs of the main and linking roads leading to the puja pandals. They were also directed to coordinate closely to ensure the timely completion of the drainage projects. The departments were also instructed to restore broken slabs over the drains and on the footpaths and to install appropriate signage to enhance public safety.
It is worth mentioning that in many parts of the city, the roads are in a pathetic condition with potholes varying in size and depth due to the ongoing construction of flyovers and drains, causing inconvenience to the city dwellers. Meanwhile, a senior official of PWD (roads), while acknowledging the inconvenience, said the department already initiated the repair works of the entire stretch from Guwahati Club to Bamunimaidam.
“Road milling began to remove the old top layer of asphalt or concrete before repairing the road, and even a few portions of the stretch were already repaired,” the official said, adding that the repair of the road would be completed before the puja. However, the completion of the drains construction before the puja, the official said, is a little bit difficult.
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