New Craters Surface: Kolkata, the cultural capital of India, has once again been reminded of its infrastructural frailty. After days of heavy rainfall and prolonged waterlogging, the city’s major roads have developed fresh craters and potholes, even on stretches that were repaired only a few weeks ago. As the floodwaters receded, residents were confronted with damaged asphalt, gaping craters, and broken road surfaces, raising urgent concerns about road quality, urban drainage, and accountability within the civic administration.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which had undertaken a pre-Durga Puja repair drive to smoothen around 300 stretches of road, now finds itself battling yet another crisis. Despite substantial expenditure and round-the-clock patchwork, the sudden reappearance of potholes has eroded public trust and triggered debates on material quality, planning, and resilience of Kolkata’s road infrastructure.
New Craters Surface: The Fresh Wave of Craters
When the torrential downpour lashed the city for nearly seven hours, many neighborhoods were submerged under knee-deep water for over 30 hours. Roads that had just been resurfaced with asphalt were unable to withstand prolonged water stagnation. As soon as the water drained away, new craters opened up, some measuring over six feet in diameter, forcing the traffic police to barricade sections of arterial roads like Diamond Harbour Road, Hazra Road, Burdwan Road, and Suhrawardy Avenue.
On APC Roy Road near Maniktala, the repaired surface gave way within a week of being laid. The situation is worse along Diamond Harbour Road, where ongoing metro rail construction has further weakened soil stability, aggravating road collapse and creating bottlenecks for traffic.
The resurfacing effort by KMC’s roads department is now under criticism, as citizens allege that patchwork quality is poor and unable to endure seasonal stress.
Causes Behind the Road Damage
1. Prolonged Waterlogging
Kolkata’s drainage system, though supplemented with pumping stations, remains inadequate in tackling sudden bursts of heavy rain. When water stands on asphalt for hours, it seeps beneath the surface, erodes binding layers, and eventually causes the top layer to peel away.
2. Substandard Material and Patchwork
Urban activists argue that much of the road repair work relies on quick-fix patching techniques rather than comprehensive re-laying with durable materials. Reports from earlier years have also pointed out the use of low-quality bitumen mixes that crumble under stress.
3. Poor Coordination with Other Works
Large infrastructure projects, particularly metro construction along key routes, have further destabilized surrounding roads. Excavation, tunneling, and heavy vehicular movement weaken asphalt surfaces and create zones vulnerable to collapse.
4. Seasonal Rush Repairs
Civic officials often race against time to complete repair drives ahead of Durga Puja. This urgency compromises the curing period and quality standards, leading to premature damage.
Impact on Daily Life
The reappearance of craters has disrupted not only traffic but also the daily rhythm of Kolkata’s residents.
- Traffic Congestion: Barricaded craters have narrowed lanes, creating severe bottlenecks during peak hours.
- Commuter Risks: Motorcyclists and cyclists face heightened accident risks, especially at night when water-filled potholes are nearly invisible.
- Economic Burden: Motorists are forced to spend heavily on repairing suspensions, wheel alignments, and tires damaged by uneven surfaces.
- Public Frustration: With the festive season around the corner, citizens fear chaotic traffic management around Puja pandals if roads remain in poor condition.
Civic Authorities’ Response
KMC officials have admitted that heavy rainfall undermined much of their pre-Puja patchwork. The roads department has now drawn up a borough-wise list of fresh craters that need urgent repair. Portable pumps are also being deployed in low-lying zones like Behala, Garden Reach, and Garia to prevent prolonged water stagnation in case of further downpours.
Mayor Firhad Hakim has previously advocated for interlocking concrete blocks as a more resilient alternative to asphalt patchwork, hinting at a possible shift in long-term road repair strategies.
Recurring Pattern in Kolkata
This is not the first time Kolkata’s roads have collapsed soon after repair. Earlier in the year, after another spell of heavy rain, craters had surfaced across Salt Lake and central Kolkata. Local residents have expressed repeated frustration that despite spending crores of rupees on road repairs, the results are short-lived.
The city’s reliance on patch repairs instead of comprehensive relaying, combined with weak quality control, has created a cycle where every monsoon season brings back the same problems.
Comparisons with Other Cities
Other metropolitan areas have attempted different approaches:
- Delhi uses cluster contracts that ensure accountability of private road contractors.
- Mumbai has invested in better drainage networks alongside asphalt resurfacing, reducing the risk of prolonged waterlogging.
- Bengaluru is experimenting with plastic waste-infused asphalt, which is more durable against moisture and heavy load.
Kolkata, by contrast, continues to rely on conventional patching techniques, exposing its infrastructure to repeated seasonal damage.
The Way Forward
Experts suggest several measures that Kolkata must adopt to break this recurring cycle:
Short-Term
- Deploy emergency patch teams on critical Puja routes.
- Install more barricades and warning systems at hazardous sites to prevent accidents.
- Increase the use of cold mix asphalt for temporary rainy-season repairs.
Medium-Term
- Mandate third-party quality audits for all civic road works.
- Synchronize repair work with metro, drainage, and utility agencies to avoid repeated damage.
- Improve stormwater drainage capacity through desilting and decongestion drives.
Long-Term
- Transition toward interlocking concrete blocks or polymer-modified bitumen for water-resistant durability.
- Adopt smart monitoring systems with real-time reporting of road damages via mobile apps.
- Develop a five-year road resilience plan that prioritizes sustainable materials and integrated urban drainage.
Conclusion
The surfacing of new craters on recently repaired Kolkata roads is more than just an infrastructural glitch; it is a mirror reflecting the city’s deeper governance and planning challenges. With the festive season approaching, the urgency of repairs is undeniable, but unless systemic reforms are embraced, the cycle of patchwork and collapse will continue to frustrate citizens year after year.
For a metropolis striving to balance heritage with modernity, durable and resilient road infrastructure is no longer a choice but a necessity.
🔗 Useful references:
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation – Road & Infrastructure
- West Bengal Public Works Department
- Indian Road Congress Guidelines
Also read: Home | Channel 6 Network – Latest News, Breaking Updates: Politics, Business, Tech & More
