Haste makes waste - Parama flyover has potholes within three months of inauguration

The Parama flyover is just three months old and already potholes have appeared on it with driving becoming a matter of nightmare. The prestigious flyover is now a picture of premature wear and tear and motorists have to apply brakes al of a sudden on the elevated corridor which has an average vehicle speed of 75kmph.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 26 January 2016.

The pothole began to first appear in December, when the surface of the east-bound flank running above Bridge No. 4 began to wear off in parts. The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) repaired the damage but it made the rash to spread elsewhere. And, since the past fortnight, two larger potholes along a 30-metre stretch of the Bypass-bound flank have posed a risk to life and limb. Of course, it is not the only section of the 4.3km flyover where an accident is waiting to happen.
CMDA has admitted that the bitumen coating on the top layer of the bridge was not durable because it had been done in a hurry for the inauguration of the flyover last October. At that time, it was raining and that could also be one of the reasons of why the bitumen is wearing off so quickly.
The Parama flyover named Ma was thrown open to traffic on October 9 last year, more than three years past the original deadline for its completion.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Potholes and speed breakers break bones and have killed over 11000 last year

Potholes on Indian roads and poorly designed speed breakers and rumblers are not just irritants for any driver but can damage the vehicles and also kill. For the first time ever, the government has taken statistics of deaths caused by potholes, speed breakers and humps on roads. It has been revealed that in 2014, as many as 11,400 people died in such cases.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 14 September 2015.

Uttar Pradesh topped the list. Other states with a high number of fatalities on these counts were Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal. Maharashtra registered 368 deaths in crashes due to potholes, humps and speed breakers while another 224 persons died in crashes on roads under repair or under construction.
The study titled Road Accident Report (2014) has been published by the road transport and highways ministry. As per this report, 4,726 lives were lost in crashes due to humps, 6,672 people died in accidents caused due to potholes and speed breakers.
The actual figures could be much higher since the data was not properly captured by local police while registering accidents. In many cases these are recorded as any other road crash without assigning whether due to potholes of speed breakers.
While potholes can be identified and filled up, when it comes to speed breakers, the problem is more complicated. There was lack of uniformity and no standard design for speed breakers on most roads. Those who do the work do not follow any standard design, curvature and location. In many cases, locals put up speed breakers and these are more dangerous for two-wheeler riders and passengers in three-wheelers.
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This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 9 September 2015.

The problem is with the sea of potholes and craters that slow down the traffic. A 70-feet stretch had been lying broken for three months and, the craters gradually increasing in size and depth. Moreover, the cover of the road had disappeared and a 10-minute shower is enough to leave the area flooded.
The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) did finally wake up to the nightmare and have begun repair work by filling the craters with concrete but a bitumen layer is awaited.
Due to the pitiable condition of the roads, cyclists and bikers meet with accidents on the spot.
As far as pedestrians are concerned they have to hop, skip and jump all the way. Taxi drivers are also wary of damaging their cabs because of rods jutting out in places.
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