Lt. Governor,
6, Raj Niwas Marg, Delhi-110054
Ph. 23945971, 23965022, 23978089
Fax : 23945010, 23937099 Fax:-011-23392102
Sir,
Sub: Issues concerning PWD.
(i) Three bridges were constructed during CWG 2010 on Outer Ring Road from R&R to IIT Gate. However, immediate after inauguration potholes surfaced on all the bridges. Among these the RTR is having least potholes so can be descrivbed as best among the choice. The constant ever increasing quantity of potholes proves that these have hollow/ unfilled surfaces. Surprisingly, the 2 flyovers were given mastic carpeting to shield the potholes. First point arises why costly mastic carpeting was done on these new flyovers? And when the mastic carpeting is hardly one year old there are numerous potholes on these bridges giving a look as if the carpeting is several years old. The hollow base has sunk at several places posing danger to traffic making it a criminal offense on the part f PWD. This requires a thorough probe into the quality aspect of these bridges. Likewise the recent concrete surfacing done from Uttam Nager to Kakrotla Mode also requires a thorough quality check. Otherwise all defects are visible with open eyes without any kind of test. On one side in the name of safety PWD has come up with rumble strips all over Delhi and on other side danger posed by these potholes surfaced on poor quality roads is left unattended.
(ii) There are several divisions in PWD to divide the work of roads, bridges. This division & sub-division has become complicated and a citizen would never come to know which road is maintained by which division and within that division where sits the concerned office.
Even within PWD there is complete chaos if you file one RTI application you will receive one dozen transfer letters confirming the fact that even PWD officers themselves are un-aware who maintains what?
On viewing road signs one would not get any hint – which division has installed in and where to contact for any complaint or suggestion? This requires a complete overhaul of area division and it must be made clear & simpler. Every sign board installed on road must carry the division number which has installed it so that one could know – who maintains the road. At present PWD is using this complicated system to confuse public and hide their inefficiencies.
(iii) There are clear cut instructions with PWD to inspect every road twice a day. And on PAPER this inspection is happening but actually nothing is happening. As per PWD inspection is done but no inspection
report is prepared – it only confirms that only paper formalities are done and no actual inspection with ‘OPEN EYES’ is happening. There are abundant examples on roads spread all over Delhi which proves that
roads are not regularly inspected. Be it uprooted kerb stones, falling wires, potholes, obstructed footpaths, blocked zebra crossing – no one is there to check it. So many zebra crossings exists where you cannot
cross the road, these are just painted blindly – to quote a recent example 3 zebra crossings, within a span of 100 meters, have been painted on Sambhalkha T point but all are blocked? Whether concerned engineer ever bothered either to remove the blockage or to relocate the zebra crossing? There are numeral examples of such irregularities.
a) Whether any kerb stone is uprooted on central verge or footpath,
b) Whether any pothole is visible – if yes where and about what size?
c) Is any patch on road is about to convert into pothole?
d) Is any portion of footpath/road is caved in?
e) Is there any open man- hole?
f) Is there any falling pole, railing, wire, overhead sign board or tree,
g) Is there any obstruction on footpath likely to create problem for pedestrians?
h) Is there any dug up space on footpath or road inadequately barricaded or lying unattended for many days?
i) Is there any unpainted zebra crossing or speed-breaker?
j) Is there any encroachment on road or footpath?
k) Is entry & exit points of footpath have appropriate poles fixed so as to prevent climbing of vehicles on it?
l) Is there any water logging, construction material, debris, damaged vehicle or any other kind of material lying on road?
m) Is there any damage to any kind of street furniture?
n) Any other issue, as per discretion of concerned staff,
(iv) The Outer Ring Road from IIT Gate to Muniraka is a narrow stretch and the service lanes are non-usable because of encroachment and un—willingness of concerned officers to remove the same. While the main carriageway is braving extremely heavy traffic load the space of service lanes is lying waste. There is double impact while the stretch is narrow the parking also happens on main road, so this stretch often faces slow movement. At a time when there is acute shortage of road space in Delhi and every step is facing traffic jam this precious space cannot be just let go waste. In suggest that the verge between main carriage way & service lanes be removed to merge both the roads, this will broaden the road and provide some more usable space so as to load some share of the main road.
(v) It has been often observed that the street lights on roads maintained by PWD glowing at odd hours i.e. much before sun set and much after sun rise. As per information provided by PWD time of these lights is set once in a quarter. So the timings in first week of January is followed till last week of March. Likewise timings o first week of April is followed till last week of Jun and so on – but there is large difference in the movement of Sun and timings of sun set & sun rise in a span of 90 days. In full year it moves approximately by 2 hours. Primarily 3 months period to reset the time is too long and resulting in inefficiency. In the month of May & Jun when presence of Sun is maximum lot of wastage can be openly viewed on roads. As per traffic norms street lights need to work from half an hour after sun set to half an hour prior to sun rise. On official records this time is followed but one can practically view on roads how much is the compliance? It appears that the staff deployed for the job is executing the job as per their own convenience leading to huge wastage of this scarce resource. Not only this the high mast lights are grossly misused. At many places you find duplicate lighting. High mast are fixed without disconnecting the other existing near-by lights.
All the above issues are not something which are not visible to a ordinary man with average intelligence level, how learned engineers of PWD are able to overlook these is a matter of concern. Instead of coming forward to lead the show in road maintenance PWD itself is lagging in basics of it?
I request that while all above issued be handled appropriately, workshops be organized to sensitize officers about their responsibilities which as a citizen & employee of PWD they have to fulfill – after accomplishment of which only one can really relish in life.
Citizen’s reporter
S K Goyal
cwaskg@gmail.com
