Slow repair of pothole-riddled roads frustrates residents in Ludhiana

Residents in Ludhiana are frustrated with pothole-riddled roads and called on authorities to expedite the work of fixing potholes on roads across the city. They are worried about the pothole repair machines, which can only fix about 10 potholes a day. Residents said the bad roads are causing accidents and making life difficult for commuters.

The municipal corporation (MC) has spent ₹3.86 crore on two new pothole patching machines that use infrared recycling technology to fix potholes. However, these machines take about an hour to fill one pothole, and the MC’s hot mix plant has been closed since November because of winter.

Many roads in the city are full of potholes, causing problems for commuters. Jaswant Singh, a commuter, said, “The MC has just bought these machines, but at this rate, it will take forever to fix all potholes. They need more machines or a better plan.”

According to MC officials, these machines can fix about 10 potholes a day using a process called the in-situ tarmac recycling system. It involves two workers and a van, and takes about 22 minutes to repair one pothole. First, the workers clean the pothole, then they use an infrared heater to heat the area to 200 degrees Celsius.

Gurcharan Singh Vinta, a resident, said, “There are a lot of potholes on Lodhi Club road, which connects many areas. Traffic is heavy, especially near Sacred Heart School, and the road is getting worse. In the past three months, more than eight potholes have appeared.” The road near the BSNL office in Phase 2, Dugri, is also in bad shape, and residents have been complaining for months.

MC officials have ordered two more machines to help with the repairs, said Rupinder Singh, a junior engineer. He said, “Every day, we assign machines to different roads to fix the potholes and these machines take time to fill the potholes and in a day it fixes around 10 potholes.”