Delhi Cabinet to ensure roads are pothole-free by Diwali

Chief Minister Atishi on Sunday announced that the entire Delhi Cabinet would hit the ground starting at 6 am on Monday to inspect roads across the city.

The CM said the objective behind the move was to ensure that the 1,400 km of the Public Works Department (PWD) roads would be pothole-free before Diwali.

Atishi detailed that the decision was made after an intense meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, where key ministers, MLAs and PWD officials gathered to devise a strategy. “In the last two days, Kejriwal and I inspected roads in various parts of the Capital. It became evident that the condition of the roads is quite poor. Many are broken and the rain has left them riddled with potholes,” the she said.

“Utilities like Delhi Jal Board, BSES and Tata Power have completed their works but have not repaired the roads afterward, leaving the public to face the brunt of broken and hazardous roads.” she added.

Kejriwal, in a letter addressed to Atishi during a special session of the Delhi Assembly last Friday, urged the government to address the situation with urgency.

“In this one-hour meeting, we reviewed 1,400 km of PWD roads to assess which ones need complete rebuilding, which require partial repairs and where smaller potholes need to be filled,” Atishi added.

Taking swift action, the CM announced that from Monday, each minister would be responsible for inspecting roads in their assigned regions.

“As the Chief Minister, I have taken responsibility for South and South-East Delhi. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj will oversee East Delhi, Gopal Rai will take care of North-East Delhi, Kailash Gahlot will handle West and South-West Delhi, Imran Hussain will cover Central and New Delhi and Mukesh Ahlawat will be in charge of North and North-West Delhi,” she announced.

The inspections will be hands-on, starting as early as 6 am with local MLAs and engineers from the PWD accompanying the ministers.

“Every metre of the 1,400 km of the roads will be examined in the next week and by the following week, we will begin repairs on a war footing,” she said.

The CM has set a target to complete the repairs by the end of October, just in time for Diwali. “By Diwali, we hope to present a pothole-free Delhi to its residents. As Arvind Kejriwal mentioned in his letter, the people of Delhi are frustrated by these broken roads. We will address these grievances and give the public the safe and smooth roads they deserve,” she concluded.