Now Reading: Repeated digging ravages Delhi roads as agencies fail to coordinate
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Repeated digging ravages Delhi roads as agencies fail to coordinate
Delhi roads are dug up repeatedly by different agencies laying cables, pipelines and other utilities, damaging durability and quality. A lack of coordination means the same stretches are cut open multiple times,…
Delhi roads are dug up repeatedly by different agencies laying cables, pipelines and other utilities, damaging durability and quality. A lack of coordination means the same stretches are cut open multiple times, with repairs often poor.
The practice affects road life and causes traffic disruptions, especially during monsoon. The Public Works Department and civic bodies struggle to enforce restoration standards, as agencies dig without a unified schedule.
Officials have flagged the need for a centralised permit system to synchronise utility work. No concrete timeline for such a system has been announced.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and the Indian Telegraph Act, various utilities can dig roads under a 'restoration' obligation that is rarely enforced. The PWD and MCD have guidelines specifying a minimum three-year moratorium on fresh digging after a road is laid, but no single body audits compliance. Repeated trenching degrades base layers, causing potholes that cost crores in vehicle damage and emergency repairs annually. The Delhi government's Integrated Road Accident Database for 2023 showed road condition as a factor in over 1,200 accidents in the city. A unified utility corridor policy or a digitised permit system with penalties could break this cycle, but neither has been implemented. The next budget session may see a discussion on the Delhi Road Maintenance Bill, which proposes a five-year no-dig guarantee on new asphalt.
Source: ndtv.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
