Police SOS to KMC, advisory for motorists on 7 bad city stretches
Times of India | 15 July 2025
Kolkata: The police, who have sent an SOS to the civic body about bad roads, have advised motorists to expect slower traffic on at least seven stretches of the city until the rains are over. At least four of these stretches are near bridges or flyovers — Dhalai Bridge (Patuli), Sealdah flyover, Durgapur (Ultadanga) Bridge, and Taratala flyover. The other zones include stretches between Ekbalpore and Remount Road on DH Road, certain stretches of APC Road, and a few stretches in the port area in Garden Reach.
"While the KMC has been sent an SOS, one cannot be impractical. It is not possible to use bitumen at this moment, though KMC carried out patchwork on James Long Sarani on Sunday. As a stop-gap measure, rubbish and broken bricks are being used. This can lead to slower movement on the affected roads," an officer said. The situation at Dhalai Bridge and Sealdah flyover was exceptionally bad on Monday, with vehicles taking around 20-25 minutes more to reach Hiland Park from Dhalai Bridge crossing. On Sealdah flyover, vehicles had to negotiate potholes, leading to congestion on the leftmost flank and eventual slowing down of vehicles.
"We do have a mechanism where we report stretches that may require repairs through WhatsApp groups, and we keep forwarding the details as and when required. On Monday, too, we sent the reports. However, with rain predicted in the next 24 hours, the real relief is likely to be delayed. We will request everyone to leave early and drive carefully," an officer said. Officers said the entire list of roads that require civic attention before puja includes stretches that need major repair and those which need patchwork. "The potholes, formed mostly due to accumulated rainwater, are around 8-10 inches deep and are especially dangerous for two-wheelers," said an officer.
Kolkata Traffic Police received multiple complaints of potholed roads on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Though not connected to the upkeep of city roads, cops say citizens are sending them inputs with the hope that the messages can be conveyed to the agencies concerned. "They believe they can reach us quicker compared to other agencies, and the surge of two- and four-wheelers has led vehicle owners to be concerned about them getting damaged on congested roads," said an officer.