Road repairs across the northern Kolkata suburban belt may not be completed before Durga Puja, despite a public commitment that the work would be finished by October 10, according to a report by Anandabazar – Kolkata. Roads from Uttarpara to Dankuni, Konnagar and Rishra have deteriorated during the monsoon, with potholes and stagnant rainwater disrupting movement.
The affected routes include T.N. Mukherjee Road between Uttarpara and Dankuni and Naiti Road, which runs from Konnagar station towards Delhi Road. These roads are under the Public Works Department, according to the report. Residents and local political leaders have raised concerns about the condition of the roads as the festival season approaches.
Waterlogging has added to the problem in Uttarpara and Dankuni, where drainage reportedly overflows and water remains on the roads. The combination of potholes and standing water has made the damaged stretches difficult to use during the monsoon and could complicate travel during Durga Puja if repairs are delayed.
Road resurfacing is usually undertaken before the monsoon, but the report says that work was not carried out during that period this year because of elections. Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari had promised that the repairs would be completed by October 10. However, the current state of preparations has led to doubts over whether work can even begin by that deadline.
Abhas Goswami, a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Hooghly district committee, said the administration should undertake urgent works even though the government had been in office for only four months. He claimed that the tender process had not started, making repairs before the festival unlikely.
Indrajit Ghosh, a Trinamool Congress leader and former municipal councillor from Uttarpara, questioned why repair work was facing difficulties after elected municipal boards had been removed on the promise of providing better services. His remarks linked the road problem to the wider question of administrative responsibility for local services.
Dipanjon Chakraborty, the Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Uttarpara, gave a different account. He said the tender process for the road work had been completed and that rain was delaying implementation. The differing statements leave the immediate status of the contract and the start date for physical repairs unclear.
The report does not provide a confirmed revised schedule from the Public Works Department or details of the proposed repair package. The October 10 deadline remains the stated milestone for completing the work, while residents in the affected settlements continue to deal with damaged roads and waterlogging.