Firhad Hakim leads inspection of roads, amidst festivities | Watch video

Mayor Firhad Hakim of the Kolkata Municipality, ahead of the much-awaited Sharodiya utsav and Mahalaya, embarked on a street inspection tour to ensure the city's roads are in prime condition for the festive season. The extensive visit covered areas from North to South Kolkata via Diamond Harbor Road, concluding at Hazra. In particular, Mayor Hakim paid a visit to the Gauribari locality in North Kolkata.

The municipal authorities have been diligently working on road repair projects in Tollygunge, Jadavpur, and Behala for several years. However, the prolonged roadwork has caused inconvenience to commuters. In response to the rising concerns, the Kolkata Municipality has committed to expedite the repair process. This development follows a recent appeal by the Kolkata Police to nine state and central agencies, including the Public Works Department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and KMDA, to address the deteriorating road conditions across the city. A total of 330 roads have been identified by the Kolkata Police as in need of immediate repair.

The sorry state of many significant roads, stretching from North's Sinthi and Chitpur to the South's Bhavanipur and Kalighat, has raised fears of heavy traffic disruptions during the upcoming Puja festivities. The Kolkata Police has emphasized the importance of timely road repairs, as large numbers of people from outside the city are expected to visit during the celebrations. The poor road conditions have sparked public protests and political disputes, with the opposition criticizing the state government and staging demonstrations to draw attention to the hazards caused by damaged roads.