Bumpy undulations, paver blocks installation on roads of Calcutta set for winter fix
Telegraph | 1 December 2025
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will flatten several undulated roads in the city and install paver blocks on stretches of some other roads over the winter, officials of the civic body said.
At least two stretches of Central Avenue that are prone to waterlogging will be restored with paver blocks, said an official of KMC.
“The eastern flank of a 700m stretch of Central Avenue near its intersection with Eden Hospital Road will be restored with paver blocks. The eastern flank of Central Avenue, in front of Mohammad Ali Park, will also be restored with paver blocks,” said the official.
Both stretches of CR Avenue are frequently damaged because of waterlogging, said a KMC official. “The paver blocks will ensure that the stretches do not get damaged despite the waterlogging,” he said.
Experts have said that paver blocks can be used as an alternative to a bituminous top layer on short stretches where the road faces repeated degeneration. However, the civic body should also address any underlying drainage issues that frequently cause the stretch to get waterlogged, an expert had said.
Among the roads that will be flattened are stretches of James Long Sarani in Behala, Paharpur Road in Garden Reach, Chetla Road, New Road in Alipore, Eden Hospital Road next to Medical College Kolkata and a long stretch of EM Bypass.
According to sources in the KMC, winter was the best time to restore and repair roads. While only patch repairs can be done during monsoon to fill up potholes and craters, the months of autumn and winter can be used to undertake more comprehensive maintenance.
Road repairs are again halted when board examinations begin, as roads are kept free of any fencing during the examination period, the KMC sources said.
During the weekly phone-in programme Talk to Mayor on Friday, Firhad Hakim instructed engineers to carry out road repair projects as fast as possible in the next few months.
“The uneven roads will be flattened by removing the top layer on the uneven stretch. We will also remove some of the underlying layers and freshly make the underlying bed. Then we will pour a top bituminous coat on the stretch and ensure that it is merged with adjacent portions that were not dug,” said an official.
“The repaired portion should be at the same level as the portion that did not need any flattening. The joints between the two portions have to be done very carefully,” said the official.
Multiple roads in Calcutta have undulated surfaces. Roads with uneven surfaces make travelling very uncomfortable and bumpy. The undulations are a result of shoddy repairs done earlier or of some problems in the underlying layers.
On EM Bypass, one of Calcutta’s busiest roads, there are multiple stretches with such undulations.
KMC has now planned to flatten both the flanks between the Ruby crossing and the Baghajatin rail overbridge. A frequent commuter on the stretch welcomed the move.
“Commuting on this stretch is one of the most painful and uncomfortable. Two-wheelers are the worst affected. People sitting inside hatchbacks, too, feel uncomfortable. Even buses shake and jerk as they move over the undulated stretches,” said the Patuli resident.