Nagpur: With barely a fortnight left before the 10-day Ganeshotsav begins on Sept 14, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is racing to repair pothole-ridden roads amid a shortage of key machinery. A proposal to augment resources remains pending with municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar’s office, complicating the task further. Itankar was not available for comment.The challenge is compounded by the fact that roads in the city are owned and maintained by multiple agencies, even as NMC has been directed by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde to undertake restoration work across the board.At a recent meeting, NMC chief engineer Leena Upadhey directed executive engineers to make roads pothole-free in their respective zones. The instruction followed directives issued during a video conference chaired by Shinde on August 17, where he called for faster, technology-driven repair methods instead of conventional patchwork. Options discussed included Instapatcher, Jetpatcher and cold-mix technology to speed up repairs and minimise traffic disruption.NMC will prioritise major arterial roads, internal and residential roads, Ganesh idol procession routes, roads leading to immersion points, and other stretches expected to see heavy movement. Engineers have been asked to identify damaged sections and choose repair methods suited to each road’s condition.The Hot Mix Department’s equipment shortfall poses a major constraint, as only five of the required 10 tippers, two of five rollers, and just one of four pick-up vans are available. The department has proposed procuring four additional pick-up vans for pothole repair and resurfacing work.A separate proposal seeks approval for an estimated Rs 3.61 crore over two months to arrange five tippers, three rollers, 980 MT of bitumen and 150 units of Hincol. This proposal awaits clearance from the municipal commissioner’s office.Adding to the difficulty, the Hot Mix Plant typically shuts down for two to three months during the monsoon — precisely when demand for repairs peaks. To bridge this gap, the department has proposed using cold-mix asphalt for interim pothole repairs.The scale of the task is considerable — of the city’s 4,587.04-km road network, 2,772.25 km are tar roads, a portion of which falls under other agencies, adding to the coordination burden on NMC. With the festival deadline approaching, any further delay in securing machinery, materials and inter-agency cooperation could leave the civic body struggling to keep pace with rising Ganeshotsav traffic.NMC’S POTHOLE REPAIR CHALLENGE Total road network: 4,587.04 km Tar roads: 2,772.25 km Ganeshotsav begins: September 14 Festival duration: 10 days Time left: Barely a fortnight Active Hot Mix squads: 2 Proposed squads: 3 Tippers available/required: 5 / 5 Rollers available/required: 2 / 3 Pick-up vans available/required: 1 / 4 Additional pick-up vans proposed: 4 Bitumen proposed: 980 MT Hincol proposed: 150 units Estimated 2-month expenditure: Rs 361.48 lakh Status of proposal: Pending with Municipal Commissioner Vipin Itankar’s office Key repair methods: Instapatcher, Jetpatcher and cold mix Road ownership: Roads are maintained by multiple agencies, but NMC has been directed to undertake restoration works ahead of Ganeshotsav.
