KMC drive to repair bonfire-singed roads

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation roads department took up a special drive to repair portions of roads that were damaged by lighting of bonfires on the eve of Dol and Holi. TOI had highlighted the damage that had been caused to the blacktop by heat generated by bonfires, and the need for repairs ahead of rains to prevent further damage to the roads.
The KMC roads department officials said, a special road repair gang carried out the repairs on Tuesday and Wednesday, excavating the top layer around the spots where the blacktop had flaked off and laying fresh asphalt to seal the area.
“Senior KMC officials had asked an agency engaged in the road smoothening project to repair the stretches that had been damaged using a gang that has the expertise in such repair work. We took time to repair the damaged stretches of SN Banerjee Road with as much care as we had taken to smoothen the road,” the official said.
On Tuesday midnight, workers cut off the damaged portion with a machine before putting fresh bitumen layers on it, said Mohon Lal Saha, a trader who runs a stationery shop at Uma Das Lane and SN Banerjee Road junction in front of where a pockmark appeared after the March 6 bonfire celebration.
There were at least five spots on SN Banerjee Road, including major damage at Janbazar intersection on Mirza Ghalib Street. The others were at the intersection of SN Banerjee Road with Uma Das Lane, Collin Street, Nilmoni Halder Lane and Blochmann Street.