Pune Civic Body Allocates ₹15 Crore For Pre-Monsoon Road Repairs Using Advanced Tech

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allocated Rs 15 crore for pre-monsoon road repairs, officials said. Repairs will be carried out on 50 km of roads using advanced technology, with tenders for the work expected to be issued in the coming days, they added.

Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of PMC's road department, said, "The road department has intensified its efforts to improve city roads after their poor condition was highlighted by the President's Office and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Following the successful completion of repairs on 15 roads, work has now commenced on 17 additional roads. The department has also decided to repair the other roads to ensure a smooth commute across the city. This includes constructing new roads and repairing damaged ones."

PMC will carry out micro-surfacing on major city roads. Tenders will be floated to complete the repairs, which will cover approximately 3.80 lakh square metres of road surface across 50 km. Using advanced technology, the repairs will ensure cost-effective yet efficient road maintenance, according to the officials.

The department has identified specific roads for micro-surfacing and divided the city into two zones – east and west. Each zone will have a tender worth Rs 7.5 crore, amounting to a total expenditure of Rs 15 crore. These tenders have also been approved in the municipal corporation's estimate committee meeting. Micro-surfacing is expected to prevent potholes and road deterioration for the next three to four years. Previously, the PMC used this technology for road construction, and many of those roads remain in excellent condition even today.

Even after seven years, roads constructed using both technologies have been free of maintenance issues, Pawaskar noted. As part of Mission 17 undertaken by the road department, the busy Senapati Bapat Road was repaired using this technique.

By using the Road Asset Management System, a survey has been conducted to assess the necessary treatments for various roads in Pune city ahead of the monsoon. "Micro-surfacing is an excellent, low-cost treatment. It ensures that roads remain free from potholes, loose gravel or patch deterioration for three to four years," added Pawaskar.