The Maharashtra government's much-touted promise to fill all potholes before Ganeshotsav remained a pipe dream. Data compiled by the state's Public Work Department (PWD)revealed that only 62.52% bad patches were attended to across the state.
The PWD looks after the construction and maintenance of state and district roads. According to the data compiled, maximum potholes were filled in Mumbai division, at 97.71%, of which 94.38% were on state roads and 82.05% on district-owned roads. After Mumbai, around 71.29% of Nagpur region roads with bad patches were attended to. Only 70.11% of Pune region's potholes have been filled.
"The work to fill potholes is yet to pick pace in Nasik, Aurangabad, and Amaravati region, where the figures were as abysmal as 50.85%, 51.03%, and 58.66%, respectively. Among these too, state-owned roads were repaired faster than district roads," revealed the data.
In Pune region, bad patches on 78.76% state-owned roads and 66.01% district roads were mended, and in Nasik region 59.56% state-owned roads and 46.43% district roads were repaired. In Aurangabad, 58.14% state roads and 46.17% district roads were fixed, while in Amaravati potholes on 68.43% state roads and 50.79% district roads were filled. In Nagpur, 70.02% state roads and 71.98% district road bad patches were attended to.
DNA had reported on September 3, that 57.91% potholes had been repaired across Maharashtra. The total length of the road network across the state is 88,893 km.
Opposition parties, particularly the Nationalist Congress Party, had started 'the selfie with potholes' campaign and posted pictures of potholes or bad patches on Twitter tagging PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik had said despite spending Rs 1,300 crore on filling potholes, the state government has not been able to do away with bad roads. "The BJP-led government is not efficient when it comes to delivering the promises made. Their tall claims fall flat. What make sit worse is that there were long dry spells this monsoon, giving enough time to get the roads fixed."
