Calcuttans will have to be content with only patchwork on damaged roads before Id and the Puja.

The civic authorities are wary of taking up thorough repairs immediately — 800 km of the 1,500 km of city roads were damaged in the recent showers — fearing that the skies may pour again.

The civic engineers have decided to spray lime dust and give a coat of “extra-hot” bitumen mixture on the damaged parts, even those that are still wet from the mid-September downpour.

The patchwork — to continue for the next seven days — will cost Rs 2 crore.

“Lime dust soaks water and the extra-hot bitumen mixture causes the moisture on the wet road surface to evaporate,” said Soumitra Bhattacharya, the civic deputy chief engineer (civil).

A section of engineers in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) admitted that the patchwork will not last long.

“What else could we have done? Over 500 requests have reached the CMC from mosques and organisers of Durga pujas to repair roads in their vicinity,” said mayoral council member (information and culture) Faiyaz Ahmed Khan.

The civic authorities have engaged 35 contractors to carry out the repairs.

Several puja organisers are complaining of damaged roads in their areas. Satyajit Kar Roy, of a Jodhpur Park puja, said: “Repairs are being carried out in an unsatisfactory manner.”

Rajib Deb, the general secretary of Durgabari puja in Ballygunge Place, said: “I have repeatedly approached the CMC for thorough repairs in Ballygunge Place, Mandeville Gardens and Ballygunge Gardens, but the authorities have decided on patchwork.”