With a man falling through a gap in Chandmari bridge in Phansitala More and losing his life, commuters in Howrah are treading carefully lest they suffer similar fate. For the roads in Howrah at the fag end of monsoon are pockmarked with yawning potholes and craters. Metro does a round of the death traps caused by the rains and waterlogging. 

Benaras Road 

Driving or walking on Benaras Road is a nightmare. The one kilometre stretch from Manu Petrol Station till Belgachhia crossing is hellish.  Not only is the road severely damaged, water has not receded from this road for the past three weeks. Water-filled craters have made the road accident prone as bikers often fail to negotiate and fall. Vehicles are also damaged trying to cross this stretch.    

Residentspeak: “I work in Salkia and have to cross Benaras Road everyday. This is one of the worst waterlogging on Benaras Road in the past few years. I have had several accidents in the past when there was knee-deep water and I could not see the craters.  Now I have stopped riding my bike and take my cycle instead to avoid injury. But the condition of the road has become so bad that it is impossible to cross this stretch even by cycle,” said Tapas Pal, a resident of Kona. 

Natabar Pal Road 

The stretch of tunnel under Tikiapara station called Natabar Pal Road is broken for most part of the year. But it gets worse in monsoon. The road is an important link between Drainage Canal Road and Benaras Road. 

Residentspeak: “This road was repaired about a year back around Durga Puja last year, but it was back to what it was in a few months. Now with the rains, the potholes have grown bigger and there are regular traffic jams because of these,” said Achintya Nandy, who runs a store near the tunnel. 

“The roads are in terrible condition because of heavy rain and waterlogging. We had done patchwork repairs on Benaras Road a few weeks back but the craters are back again because of heavy rain and waterlogging. We will start full repair work once the rains stop,” said Bibhas Hazra, the councillor of Ward 9. 

East West Road 

Potholes had developed in parts of East West Road, that runs parallel to Tikiapara station, after monsoon set in. Although patchwork was done on parts of the road, heavy rains and prolonged waterlogging has washed away the top layer leaving the bricks exposed. 

Residentspeak: “The road was repaired a few months back, when pipes were laid here. But just as monsoon set in, the top layer disappeared. The craters have got worse in the past few weeks of heavy rainfall,” said Moloy Kanrar, who works in a foundry on East West Road.

“East West Road has been damaged in the past few weeks because of heavy rain and waterlogging. Full repair work will be done before Durga Puja,” said Dibyendu Mukherjee, the councillor of Ward 22.