Patna: Even a brief spell of rain is enough to disrupt traffic and make commuting hazardous across Patna, with roads dug up for water pipelines, sewer lines, drainage networks and other utility projects turning into muddy, waterlogged stretches.Across several localities, incomplete restoration has left roads riddled with craters, open trenches and uneven surfaces. Residents complained that the absence of proper barricades, warning signs and reflective markers has made these stretches dangerous after dark and during rainfall.“Residents understand that infrastructure projects are important, but development should not come at the cost of public safety. Roads cannot remain dug up indefinitely while people continue to suffer,” said Ashok Mehta, a resident of Rajiv Nagar. “It has been over a month since the service lane on Atal Path and a lane from Road No. 2 to 20 were dug up for a water pipeline project. Very little work has been done, and the situation has become grim with the arrival of the monsoon,” he added.Similar complaints have come from residents of Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh, Digha, Chhajjubagh, Vidyapati Marg, Kadamkuan, Exhibition Road and Jamal Road.Sumit Shrivastava, a resident of Doctor’s Colony, said, “Water-filled pits hidden beneath muddy water have become accident-prone spots, leaving commuters vulnerable.”Residents have also questioned the lack of coordination among executing agencies. “Roads are frequently dug up by one department and remain unrepaired long after the utility work is completed,” said Namita Sinha of Rajendra Nagar.A Buidco official said sewer pipeline work on several stretches under the Namami Gange project had been completed and list of roads requiring restoration were handed over to the departments concerned a month back. According to the official, 4,928 metres of roads in the Digha and Kankarbagh project areas have already been handed over for restoration.PESU general manager Dilip Kumar Singh said excavation at Chhajjubagh was limited to connecting an underground power cable to a substation. “The contractor has been directed to complete the remaining work tonight and the road will be restored tomorrow. Most of the cable-laying has been done using the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method, requiring only small pits for connections,” he said.Meanwhile, PMC and Buidco reviewed monsoon preparedness at a meeting chaired by urban development and housing department secretary-cum-Buidco managing director Animesh Kumar Parashar and PMC commissioner Yashpal Meena. Officials directed immediate barricading of excavation sites, strengthening of drainage infrastructure and round-the-clock monitoring of sanitation and emergency response teams during the monsoon.
