The long wait may soon be over for daily commuters and schoolgoers on Diamond Harbour Road.
Repair and patchwork of the broken footpaths and pothole-ridden roads began over the weekend with an inspection a day after My Kolkata highlighted the miserable condition of the 1.8km stretch between Mominpur and Kidderpore on August 1.
The road, used daily by school buses, private cars, ambulances and two-wheelers, had become increasingly dangerous with the onset of monsoon and the ongoing construction of the Purple Line Metro between Joka and Esplanade.
The stretch, which houses six schools — Bidya Bharati, Loyola High School, St. Paul’s Boarding & Day School, St. Teresa’s Secondary School, and St. Thomas’ Boys’ and Girls’ School along with CMRI hospital and Bellona Nursing Home, saw slow-moving traffic and frequent snarls due to potholes and broken footpaths.
The urgency to initiate repairs intensified after a minivan overturned near Bidya Bharati School at Mominpore crossing on July 31. The van lost control after hitting a series of waterlogged potholes, prompting widespread concern from parents and residents. No major injuries were reported, but the incident sparked fresh calls for immediate intervention.
On Friday, councillors of the wards concerned, along with civil engineers, inspected the most affected areas. The repair work began on Saturday, starting with footpath restoration in front of Bellona Nursing Home and Loyola High School, both of which fall under Ward 78. Road patchwork is being carried out in stages, first targeting the worst-hit segments.
Soma Das, councillor of Ward 78, told My Kolkata, “We started work on Saturday immediately after the inspection. The footpaths in front of Bellona Nursing Home and Loyola High School, which fall under my ward, are being fixed first. Necessary patchwork of the roads will also be done. The condition of the road around Bidya Bharati will be fixed under the supervision of Debalina Biswas, chairperson of Borough Number 9. We are expecting the work to be completed within 20 days.”
