Kolkata: The KMC on Monday started a drive to repair roads damaged due to last week’s rain. According to a KMC official, the focus of the drive will be on stretches dug up for repairing underground utility services, and roads that developed craters due to waterlogging. Stretches of Bypass have also been included.According to an official, KMC has started repair of stretches of Southern Avenue that were dug up for a water supply project, parts of MG Road in Behala, a stretch near Hiland Park, and some stretches in north and central Kolkata. Other roads on the list are Beleghata Main Road, Chittaranjan Avenue, Beadon Street, Rabindra Sarani, and MG Road, and others.But the fate of large parts of roads that fall in the port region, which need immediate repairs, is yet to be decided as the civic brass wants Kolkata port authorities to either take up the repair or release funds for the KMC for the job. “We know the roads are in deplorable condition. But we can’t take up the repair till the matter is sorted between KoPT and KMC,” said an official.Similarly, roads in Behala that were dug up for a drainage project under KEIIP won’t come under this drive, said a KMC official. Residents of parts of Behala have been complaining about stretches lying dug up for long. “We can’t assure them the battered roads will be repaired till the project is over. Let the KEIIP wrap up the drainage project and hand over the roads to us,” said a KMC official. Some of the areas where the roads have remained in a deplorable state include Motilal Gupta Road, MG Road, Kalipada Mukherjee Road, Biren Roy Road (West), and parts of Diamond Harbour Road.A KMC official said Dhalai Bridge, Dhakuria bridge, Sealdah bridge, and Anwar Shah Road connector bridge need urgent attention. “We will need to conduct a repair drive of these bridges that have been damaged due to rain,” the official said.
