Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Kolkata Lists Roads for Repairs Before Durga Puja
Many roads in Kolkata have potholes and damaged surfaces before the city’s Durga Puja festival.
The city government has chosen several roads for urgent repair work.
Workers are expected to repair roads mostly at night so traffic is less affected.
Engineers will send photographs and location details to check the work.
Some roads cannot be repaired until underground water problems are fixed.
The civic body says heavy rain made proper repairs difficult.
For now, many repairs may only be temporary patchwork.
The KMC wants to finish the work by October 8, before the festival.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation listed major roads for urgent repairs ahead of Durga Puja.
Repair work is planned on parts of EM Bypass, Alipore Road, Burdwan Road and several other key routes.
Dedicated teams will work overnight, while engineers must submit site photographs with latitude and longitude details.
Some repairs will begin only after underground water leaks and dispersal-system work are completed.
The KMC blamed unusually heavy September rain and aims to finish emergency repairs by October 8.
- Who
- The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Police and KMC road engineers are involved.
- What
- Roads across Kolkata are being listed for urgent and, where possible, thorough repairs before Durga Puja.
- When
- The repairs are planned ahead of Durga Puja, with the KMC aiming to complete them by October 8.
- Where
- Work is planned on parts of EM Bypass, Alipore Road, Burdwan Road, Gurusaday Road, Circular Garden Reach, Diamond Harbour Road and Central Avenue, among others.
- Why
- The roads have deteriorated, while unusually heavy September rain delayed repairs and underground water problems affect some locations.
Civic Explanation
Public Concern
Why roads remain damaged
Civic Explanation
The KMC said exceptionally heavy rain prevented thorough repairs because wet surfaces are unsuitable for bituminous work, and some locations have underground water problems.
Public Concern
Residents have complained that quick road fixes often last only a few months, while several roads were described as being in very bad condition before the festival.
Quality of immediate repairs
Civic Explanation
The KMC plans to use its hot-mix plant on emergency mode and deploy teams overnight to complete urgent work quickly.
Public Concern
The civic body acknowledged that many repairs will initially be patchwork rather than thorough resurfacing, raising concerns about their durability.
- Repair deadline
- The KMC said it wants to complete the repairs by October 8.
- Festival timing
- Durga Puja was about a fortnight away when the repair list was announced.
- Rainfall recorded
- Alipore recorded 547.9mm of rain from September 1 to 25.
- Average rainfall
- The 30-year average for the same period is 265.2mm.
- Repair method
- Many repairs will initially be patchwork because wet surfaces are unsuitable for bituminous covering.
- Monitoring
- Engineers were directed to submit photographs and latitude-longitude details of repair sites.
- Traffic-related request
- Kolkata Police shared a list of at least six roads needing immediate repairs.