Surat: After road cave-in incidents across the city and floods damaging business and properties worth crores, now the citizens face trouble due to potholed roads. Residents across several city areas are facing mounting hardship as roads cave in, potholes widen and flooding persists, turning daily commutes into a safety hazard.Despite extended gaps between rain spells this season, road surfaces have deteriorated in different areas. Citizens report that potholes have appeared on key stretches while repairs remain slow. In previous years, continuous heavy rainfall was cited as the main reason for delayed road work by the Surat Municipal Corporation. Residents say the pace of restoration has not improved this year even when weather conditions allowed sustained repair activity.Frequent waterlogging has compounded the danger. Stagnant water often conceals potholes, creating a serious risk for motorists, especially two-wheeler riders who are more vulnerable to sudden loss of balance. Pedestrians also face heightened danger when forced to navigate submerged, uneven surfaces.Adding to the concern, several manhole covers have been left partially lifted in an attempt to speed drainage during prolonged waterlogging. The covers and grills are designed to prevent waste from entering stormwater lines and blocking them. But with water failing to clear quickly in many locations, civic staff and local residents have reportedly propped covers open to improve flow. As these manholes are located on roads, the raised covers have become another accident risk, both during flooding and on dry days.“The road repair data of last year shows that SMC had to spend huge amounts just to repair roads. If the road quality is so poor despite paying a high amount to road developers, then why is the civic body not taking strict action to prevent the developers from building poor-quality roads?” said Mahesh Anghan, who has been running a campaign against the poor quality of city roads.
