Poor quality concrete comes off roads within 24 hours of patchwork

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 15

The poor quality concrete that was used to fill potholes and pits has come off from roads within 24 hours of the patchwork. The material, mixed with gravels is lying scattered on roads, leading to the Municipal Corporation, making it difficult for motorists to commute on the already damaged roads.

Previously during the mending work, residents had asked contractors not to fill the depressions with sand, but ignoring their call, poor-quality concrete was used to fill potholes, which is now disperse on the roads.

Numerous potholes had emerged on several roads of the city after rain, shaping the condition of the roads bad to worse.

Mayor Jagdish Raja had assured then that good-quality material would be used this time. However, the patchwork marks reveal a poor picture. The promises made by the authorities in the Municipal Corporation to reconstruct or repair roads also went in vain, as sand used in the concrete has made the roads dusty and the scattered stones and pebbles have turned them as accident zones.

Commuters said contractors should be held responsible for the dilapidated state of the roads. Vehicles could also loose balance while moving on these damaged roads.

Rohit Sharma, a resident of Old Jail road area, said: “Though it has become difficult to drive on such dilapidated roads, especially during rains, now the scattered concrete has made things worse. Most of the times it gets difficult to judge the potholes when inundated with rainwater.

Another commuter, Kulwinder Singh, said: Many times tyres of vehicles get punctured after coming in contact with the gravels.”

Patchwork in-charge, XEN, Rajneesh Dogra, said: “Bitumen, mixed with concrete material, used in the patchwork is a good-quality material to be applied on potholes.”

“However adequate heat might have not been supplied to thoroughly settle the concrete on the road,” he added.