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Root
Cause of Bad Roads
Indian
Economy is indeed booming. This is first
time in history that shares market, bullion
prices, and real estate; all are on the
rising ladder. Govt. of Maharashtra is supporting
IT sector by giving new Sops, including
granting FSI 2, and host of other concessions.
Declaring policy of 100 acres for housing
schemes will encourage satellite towns,
reducing pressure on Metro cities. Central
Govt. has declared "Special Economic Zones
(SEZs), again with host of concessions and
tax holidays, to give boost to manufacturing
units / industries. All these factors forecast
Growth, Growth and Growth.
For proper growth, quality roads undoubtedly
play very important role. Wise Chanakya
wrote centuries back, that road surface
has to be like back of Tortoise;
meaning: Hard Surface, spacious/
adequate Camber and draining out water.
What is lagging on roads is proper Camber,
and therefore water does not drain out.
Camber will allow water to flow towards
edges of road from where it is drained out
through storm-water drains. Stagnant or
standing water on roads makes roads weak
and vulnerable. Roads are also to be designed
for todays, (and for coming 20 years) loads.
Axel loads have considerably increased,
and are still increasing. Volume of traffic
has significantly increased, so have increased
speed of vehicles. All new roads are to
be designed to new specifications to withstand
modern envisaged traffic. Old roads gradually
need to be improved to new specifications.
Roads are a major infrastructural problem
in Pune. Roads are not broad enough. Surfaces
are not hard and smooth. Potholes are common
sight. It becomes worse in monsoons, when
water collects in these Potholes, which
get bigger and bigger with flow of water.
Materials used in laying carpet are not
clean (lot of dust in aggregate), materials
are not heated and maintained to required
temperature, while laying carpet. PMC, under
pressure from Bigwigs, and the Public, will
fill up potholes in hurry; with whatever
material (like Brick bats, moorum, mixed
asphalt etc.) they can lay their hands on.
When moorum is filled in pot-holes, it becomes
slippery. Vehicles are damaged. More fuel
is burnt. Considering repairs of roads including
resurfacing, damage to vehicles, increased
fuel consumption, time lost due to creeping
slow traffic, injuries caused to two wheeler
riders and senior citizen, it certainly
is a colossal waste.
PMC may also resurface the roads. But will
this solve our problem in long run, unless
the basics are met with?
It is really shame, when water, even on
normal shower, gets accumulated outside
Engineering College, which is hardly 200
meters away from the river. Storm-Water
drains are either not provided, or they
get clogged, and therefore useless. We could
provide open gutters/ channels on side of
Footpaths, which could be easily cleaned.
Storm water drains, if provided, should
be of bigger diameter, to allow easy cleaning.
Grill on top of Manholes should also be
fixed with strong steel net of suitable
size so as to prevent bigger particles getting
in the net- work and clogging the drain.
Road dividers, constructed in bigger lengths
also restrict free flow of water. Some small
openings could easily be provided, at regular
intervals, which will allow movement of
water from one side to another. Gaps will
also work as expansion joints for the divider
wall.
Talks are going on to blacklist contractors.
How can one blame contractors alone, when
tendering process itself is faulty?
Tenders are not invited on right specifications.
Tenders do not specify basic rates of raw
materials, on which contractor has to base
his rates. In today's uncertain market scenario,
how can contractor quote properly? Alternatively,
raw materials like Cement, Asphalt, pipes,
metal and sand be issued to him on fixed
rates. No guarantee is given to contractor,
as to when he is getting his payments.
Why tender is always allotted to the contractor
quoting lowest, very well knowing that the
rates quoted by him are absurdly low, and
therefore unworkable. Contractor, quoting
low, can only earn when he steals on asphalt,
cheats on quantity (or thickness) of materials,
and is able to manage extra measurements
over and above the work carried out by him.
In all this, he has a partner, a supervising
Engineer. Action therefore, if things really
are to be improved, is to be taken on both.
As a fair practice, let Corporation out
rightly reject highest tender and the lowest
tender. Mean amount (Quotation) be found
from rest of the tenders. And work awarded
to the person, who is nearest to this mean
amount. This process will remove unhealthy
competition. Rates will be more workable.
Technical Specifications and scope of work
must be clearly specified in the tender.
Tenders must be invited considering full
(total) work, including laying drains, Electric
and telephone cables, street lighting etc.,
and not in parts. Tenders must not be allotted
on Political influence. Supervising Staff
only collects Haftas. Let them also
learn to take serious and sincere responsibility.
Supervising staff must get equal punishment,
if not more, than what is given to the Contractors.
Stopping increment, or promotion or suspending
him, are too light punishments. Something
heavy, which acts as deterrent against bad
workmanship, is required.
We construct roads, and surprisingly forget
of maintenance. No budget has provided for
maintenance. Maintenance does not mean only
resurfacing of roads.
Subject of Roads could
be divided into three parts:
 Construction
of designed roads and Quality Roads.
Repairs
to damaged roads.
Preventive
maintenance of roads.
Making sub-strata worthy of current traffic,
and Providing Hard Surface, Camber,
and Storm water drains (or road side
Channels), is pre-requisite for good
and healthy roads. Timely repairs, and regular
preventive maintenance help increase life
of roads. Without these, any amount of expenses
incurred on roads will go waste.
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