To get a taste of how potholes feel, engineers asked to use bikes in Kalyan-Dombivli

Kalyan: In a bid to make roads in Kalyan-Dombivli safer and potholes-free, an engineer with the civic body directed his officials and staff to use two-wheelers instead of four-wheelers for travelling to realise what people face daily, while commuting on these roads.

Soon after the rains in Kalyan-Dombivli, several major and internal roads developed potholes, causing congestion in the city. During a visit to inspect the potholes on a bike, city engineer Arjun Ahire asked his subordinate officers who travel to their offices by car to opt for bikes, check the potholes, get hold of the contractors and get them repaired on the spot.

“Roaming in a car won’t help solve the issues. The officers who come to KDMC headquarters daily should travel by two-wheelers. While travelling by bike, they will come across the potholes, which they should get repaired by the contractors immediately,” Ahire said. “Officers who will not act accordingly will face action for negligence. I think if the officers themselves start acting against the bad roads, there will be a major change.”

Sanjay Shinde, a resident of Tilak Chowk, Kalyan West, thinks it is one of the best ways to ensure the works are done effectively. “Most of the time, we see the officers travelling by car and not even knowing the actual situation. Now, they will know what common citizens face daily,” he added.

Earlier, several incidents of deaths due to potholes were reported in Kalyan-Dombivli every year during monsoon. In 2018, five pothole-related deaths were reported in the area. In July 2018, a 43-year-old woman riding a pillion on a motorcycle was killed on Haji Malang Road after she fell off the vehicle and came under the wheels of a bus. On July 11, a 45-year-old man died after he fell into a water-filled pothole and was run over by a truck on Haji Malang Road in Kalyan.

On July 13, 26-year-old Kalpesh Jadhav, a sand supplier, skidded over a pothole, and a vehicle ran over him at Gandhari Bridge in Kalyan. Jadhav’s death led to a public furore over pothole deaths due to poor road conditions, and the need to have better roads was highlighted by residents, activists, and local politicos.

However, citizens said that even today roads in Kalyan-Dombivli have deadly potholes. “After the first serious heavy rainfall, the city’s roads have shown their true colours. Every year, the condition of the roads is the same. There is no improvement,” Amar Surve, 38, a commuter, said.