Three days left for Sashthi, the roads in Salt Lake are still battered and broken and residents said they had not seen the thoroughfares in such a bad shape in the past decade-and-a-half.
Most of the key arteries in all three sectors of the township are riddled with craters, and on some stretches the roads have caved in.
The bitumen layer has worn off and patchwork repairs have come undone in several places.
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation has started patchwork repairs in some parts, but an official of the road repairs and upkeep department of the civic body said they would not be able to relay all the broken surfaces before Sashthi.
Potholed stretches near Salt Lake stadium on Friday.
Picture by Bishwarup Dutta“There was a last-minute call for carrying out patchwork repairs. As it is, the roads were in bad shape and last month’s showers made things worse. Now, we don't have enough time to even do patchwork repairs, and are focussing on areas around crowd-puller pujas that record a high footfall,” said the official.
An official said this was waiting to happen as the civic body had only carried out patchwork repairs last year.
“Nearly all the roads of the township need to be completely resurfaced. Patchwork repairs are not a lasting solution and are a temporary fix,” said the official.
In other parts of the city, however, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other agencies, including the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), have completed patchwork repairs.
A road in BF Block, Salt Lake, being repaired on Friday.
Picture by Bishwarup DuttaIn Salt Lake, multiple stretches of arterial roads that lead to crowd-puller pujas, including the AJ Block and FD Block pujas, are in a terrible shape, residents said.
The Telegraph drove around the township on Tritiya (Friday) and found that craters had formed on Broadway, which connects Salt Lake to the Bypass.
A huge crater, measuring at least 8ft in diameter, has formed in front of the Amul Island, adjacent to the Salt Lake stadium.
Motorists and bikes were seen struggling to negotiate the stretch. Some who misjudged the depth of the crater, because it was filled with water, ended up getting stuck in it.
"This is a regular occurrence here. During rush hours, we stand in the middle of the road and guide bikers through safe lanes. Multiple accidents have taken place here," said a traffic policeman at the signal.
Craters have also formed on a stretch of Fourth Avenue, right in front of the FD Block puja pandal’s gate. The puja is among the top crowd pullers in the township.
Rahul Ghosh, a resident, said they could not make out why the civic body had not repaired the stretch.
“Poura Bhavan (the civic headquarters) is right next to FD park, where the pandal has come up. It is impossible that the civic bosses did not know about the condition of the road. These two craters pose a risk to motorists as well as those on their way to the park. We are worried. Maybe we have to find a quick-fix solution ourselves,” said Ghosh.
Krishna Chakraborty, the chairperson of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation's board of administrators, said they were trying their best to complete the patchwork repairs.
“Our repairs slowed considerably because of the incessant showers. In some places the repairs have been washed away. We are trying to complete the repairs and I have instructed that work continue throughout the night, if needed,” said Chakraborty.
Sujit Bose, the Bidhannagar MLA, said he had requested all departments to ensure that repairs were over in time.
