Submit report on status of Delhi roads, mayor tells MCD commissioner

Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Saturday asked Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner Ashwani Kumar to submit a comprehensive report on the status of the city’s road maintenance and construction by September 30.
“It has come to my notice that most MCD roads in colonies all over Delhi are in serious disrepair. Not only is this making travel difficult for all the residents of Delhi but it has also put residents at increased risk of accidents due to potholes,” she wrote.
HT has seen a copy of the communique.
All Delhi roads that are 60-feet wide or less —a network of around 12,700km — are maintained by MCD. The civic body has set aside ₹1,000 crore for road maintenance work, and another ₹500 crore under the mayor’s discretionary funds, to be utilised for the revamp of MCD roads in the current financial year 2024-25.
Oberoi, in her communique, asked Kumar for an update on how the allotted funds were used for road-related projects, and stated that delays in road repairs could exacerbate the city’s pollution crisis.
“Besides, broken roads also lead to increased suspension of road dust, which is a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi,” she wrote.
In response, the BJP said that for the past 22 months, MCD has not had a standing committee, which has resulted in neither budget allocations being passed nor any tenders being issued. The mayor and the AAP are responsible for this situation, yet it is ironic that the mayor, who is responsible for the city’s mismanagement, is now seeking answers from the municipal commissioner,a Delhi BJP spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, MCD officials said pothole repair work was being taken up on a priority to ensure that there is no inconvenience to commuters.
“The condition of roads in colonies is not good, and MCD needs funds for it… The mayor may please use her good office for the release of funds from the Delhi government. Work relating to roads in the unauthorised colonies has been done by the Delhi government in the past, but there is no responsibility with respect to their repair. The engineering department, however, is taking up pothole repair on priority,” an MCD official said.