Chandigarh civic body to spend Rs 50 lakh on repair of roads in southern sectors, floats tender

Facing flak over the poor condition of roads, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has floated another tender for repair work.

The tender for over Rs 50 lakh was issued for roads falling under Division No. 1, which covers a majority of the southern sectors. The civic body has already issued two tenders worth over Rs 1 crore for patchwork of roads falling under the other two road divisions.

An MC official said the patchwork was taken up at several identified locations where road surfaces had damaged due to regular wear and tear, weather impact and utility work. “Teams of engineering wing have been deployed for timely completion of the patchwork, using quality material to ensure longevity,” the official added.

Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, meanwhile, said recarpeting cannot be carried out in the monsoon season so patchwork was being done to ensure safety of both pedestrians and vehicles.

Recarpeting after monsoon

Notably, the MC has failed to recarpet various roads that fall under its jurisdiction before the monsoon amid a shortage of funds. The internal roads of sectors have not been recarpeted for years and the heavy rainfall this monsoon has resulted in further deterioration.

Residents complained that the condition of roads in various sectors has deteriorated to such an extent that they have been rendered unusable.

Dalip Sharma, chairperson of the MC’s road committee, said a budget of over Rs 45 crore had been passed and recarpeting work would start after the monsoon season.

The civic body is responsible for maintaining approximately 1,860 km of the city’s roads, approximately 60% of the total road length in the UT.