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Regular-article-logo Saturday, 27 April 2024

Crater country surfaces in Salt Lake

Repairs are yet to begin

Snehal Sengupta Salt Lake Published 25.08.19, 08:24 PM
Vehicles negotiate a potholed stretch that leads to the 206 bus stand from the Karunamoyee crossing.

Vehicles negotiate a potholed stretch that leads to the 206 bus stand from the Karunamoyee crossing. Pictures by Gautam Bose

Potholes dot several roads in Salt Lake, including the arterial First Avenue and Second Avenue, posing risks to pedestrians and motorists alike.

Repairs are yet to begin even as the craters grow bigger and deeper with every shower.

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Sunil Chakraborty, a resident of Baisakhi, said the blacktop on the road in front of his house was dug up several months ago to lay water pipelines but the civic body was yet to relay asphalt.

“Salt Lake is now unrecognisable. It resembles a Martian landscape. Both First Avenue and the canal-side road near Baisakhi are uneven and cratered. Driving along the stretches is nightmarish,” Ghosh said.

Several stretches of Second Avenue, in front of Tank No. 9, are also riddled with craters.

Motorists driving towards the 206 bus stand from the Karunamoyee bus stop have to be extremely careful as the potholes are quite deep. Two-wheeler riders have an even tougher ride with stone chips scattered on the stretch.

The road that connects Purta Bhavan with Udayachal Tourist Lodge

The road that connects Purta Bhavan with Udayachal Tourist Lodge

Near Tank No. 9

Near Tank No. 9

Abir Ghosh, a resident of ED Block, recently fell off his bike on the stretch. “I hit the brakes after I spotted potholes but my bike skidded and I fell. The skin on a portion of my right arm peeled off,” he said.

An AB Block resident claimed to have counted at least 50 potholes between Tank No. 9 and Tank No. 8.

“Driving home is a nightmare. The potholes are especially dangerous at night,” Prateek Agarwal said.

Huge potholes confront motorists driving from Purta Bhavan towards Udayachal Tourist Lodge in DG Block. The situation is similar near EE traffic island in Sector II.

“The corporation has not carried out any repairs. This had led to roads crumbling and even caving in at several places,” said Sanjana Guha, a resident of BJ Block.

Tapas Chatterjee, the deputy mayor of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and the mayoral council member in charge of roads, said several tenders had been floated for repair of roads.

“We have started work in phases. The rain has hampered work in several areas. We hope to complete the repairs before Puja,” Chatterjee said.

Samaresh Ghosh, who lives in BD Block, described the state of roads in the township as “appalling”.

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