Howrah: The Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) and KMDA will spend approximately Rs 40 crore to repair the city's deteriorating roads ahead of the Durga Puja. HMC said repairs will be carried out on nine major roads and 170 small and medium roads and lanes.
During the monsoon, most roads in Howrah developed large potholes and the asphalt was worn-out. The traffic department of Howrah City Police reported a 35% increase in accidents. Narayan Chatterjee, superintendent of Howrah District Hospital, stated that every day 20-30 patients visit the orthopaedic department with injuries from falling into potholes. In the past month, eight patients with head injuries were referred to hospitals in Kolkata.
Sujata Kumari Vinapani, DC (traffic) of Howrah City Police, said, "We have already informed HMC and KMDA to repair the roads. In the HMC area, important roads such as GT Road, Benaras Road, Bellius Road, East-West Bypass, Shibpur Road, Mandirtala Road, Andul Road, Salkia School Road, Donson Road, Mahendra Bhattacharya Road in Ramrajatala, Howrah-Amta Road, and several lanes and bylanes are in critical condition."
Sujay Chakraborty, chairperson of HMC, mentioned that almost all roads were repaired before the monsoon, but heavy rain caused some areas to develop craters after the top-layer eroded. He added, "The increased movement of heavy vehicles is also a reason for this, as the East-West Bypass, Howrah-Amta Road, and Andul Road provide direct access to Kona Expressway, NH-16, and Mumbai Road, respectively. All preparations are complete. Work will begin in a few days. However, if there is immense rain, there might be some delays." Ambooj Sharma, former president of BJP (Howrah), stated protests regarding poor road conditions will be held in various places from next week.