Roads on the northern and eastern fringes of the city are in a state of dangerous neglect, putting hundreds of daily commuters at risk. Though not all are main thoroughfares, traffic on these stretches continues to grow while repairs remain delayed.

Residents of Baranagar, Bonhooghly, and Cossipore said the condition of the roads has become unbearable.

Garima Dhabai, a Bonhooghly resident who underwent spine surgery in 2023, said driving was painful. “There are twin dangers — the potholes are bad enough, but the roads remain submerged for days after rain. It’s impossible to anticipate the craters,” she said.

BT Road, between Sinthee and the Indian Statistical Institute, is one of the worst-hit stretches. “It took me 50 minutes to reach Bonhooghly from Paikpara after Monday’s rain, instead of the usual 20,” Dhabai added.

North of the Sinthee crossing, Tobin Road is frequently waterlogged and now riddled with potholes. Nearby, Rai Mohan Banerjee Road — which runs east from BT Road opposite ISI — is filled with large craters that become hidden after rain. Roads connecting to the Noapara Metro station are no better, residents said.

Baranagar Municipality chairperson Aparna Moulik blamed prolonged waterlogging on higher water levels in the Bagjola canal due to heavy monsoon rains this year. “It delayed drainage in Bonhooghly and parts of Baranagar,” she said.

Moulik added that the municipality is shifting focus to building concrete roads in areas prone to damage. “Patch repairs won’t last. We will gradually replace them with concrete roads.”

Conditions on the eastern fringes are no different. Canal South Road — used by commuters from Salt Lake and New Town to reach central Calcutta — is uneven and dotted with dangerous potholes, some over half a foot deep, especially near manholes.

“We flagged the poor condition of the road with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) three months ago,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department.

A KMC official said work on Canal South Road had started before the monsoon but couldn’t be completed.

“We are scraping the surface and will lay a mastic asphalt layer to make it durable. It will take three more weeks,” the KMC official said.

A New Town resident who uses the road daily questioned the timing: “Why not finish repairs before the monsoon? Will these mid-monsoon fixes last?”