Xpress News24
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to immediately repair roads damaged by heavy rain and flooding and make them fit for traffic. He also ordered that roads requiring more extensive work should be renovated after the monsoon, depending on their condition.
The directions were issued during a review meeting of the Public Works Department on Friday. With rainfall continuing in several parts of the state, the Chief Minister asked officials to continuously monitor road conditions and conduct fresh surveys of routes damaged by subsequent spells of rain.
Yogi Adityanath stressed that the issue becomes particularly important with several festivals approaching, when movement of people is expected to increase. He directed departments to complete essential repair and renovation work on important routes before the festive period so that commuters do not face difficulties.
The Chief Minister also made it clear that the pothole-free road campaign should not be restricted to temporary patchwork. Where a road is currently in poor condition, it should first be made motorable without delay. Permanent renovation should be taken up after the rains wherever the condition of the road requires it.
Officials informed the meeting that roads have been damaged not only because of excessive rainfall but also due to the movement of heavy vehicles linked to construction projects involving expressways, national highways and railway infrastructure. Department-wise surveys are being conducted to identify such damaged stretches.
681 Key Routes Identified
Keeping the upcoming festive season in mind, 681 important routes have been identified across Uttar Pradesh for priority attention. These include roads expected to witness increased traffic during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja, Navratri, Diwali, Chhath Puja and Kartik Purnima.
The Chief Minister also sought details of the roadwork plans being prepared by officials of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Work plans of the Mandi Parishad, Panchayati Raj, Irrigation, Rural Development, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Planning, and Infrastructure and Industrial Development departments were also reviewed.
Yogi Adityanath emphasised coordination among all departments involved in road construction and maintenance so that repair work does not remain fragmented.
According to the department’s presentation, the pothole-free campaign covers roads under nine departments, with their combined network extending to around 4.36 lakh kilometres. Under the current target, around 50,000 kilometres of roads are to be made pothole-free. Work on approximately 5,751 kilometres has already been completed, officials said.
The meeting also reviewed renovation and special repair works. The department has set a target of around 30,000 kilometres for renovation and nearly 5,000 kilometres for special repairs. Progress so far was reported at around 14,000 kilometres for renovation and approximately 700 kilometres under special repair works.
The Chief Minister directed officials to give priority to roads connecting places with heavy public movement, including educational institutions, hospitals, major markets and government offices.
He asked officials to start work immediately wherever repairs are required and ensure that damaged stretches are made fit for movement without unnecessary delay. At the same time, he stressed that speed should not come at the expense of construction quality.
The meeting was attended by Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, Minister of State for Public Works Brajesh Singh, Minister of State for Industrial Development Jaswant Singh Saini, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Ramkesh Nishad and Minister of State for Rural Development Vijay Lakshmi Gautam.
