Heavy rains reveal corruption and poor road construction in Surat

Surat, Gujarat : Incessant rains in the diamond city since Monday morning have exposed the poor state of road infrastructure, shedding light on alleged wrongdoing within the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). The excessive rain has caused extensive damage to arterial roadways throughout many municipal zones, exposing subpar construction techniques and questionable dealings among contractors, officials, and the ruling party.

Major road damage was recorded in seven areas: Rander, Athwalines, Udhana, Katargam, Varachha, Sarthana, and Jahangirpura. The most obvious occurrence was near the SMC’s Narmad Library, when the road caved in almost 20 feet deep. This collapse resulted in the closure of three adjoining highways for vehicular traffic for the next four days. The enormous cavity exposes contractors’ poor road building quality and their suspected tight relationship with SMC officials and the ruling BJP.

The large cavity exposed the road’s construction condition as it passed over the city’s drainage and water piping networks. The people could see the drainage water flowing beneath them as the cavity was exposed. 

Furthermore, many roads in the city were already deteriorating due to constant repairs and patchwork by the drainage and hydraulic department, which was aggravated by the current Surat Metro rail project. Heavy rainfall and construction activity have weakened the city’s infrastructure.

In Jahangirpura, the road to Shikhar Avenue, which was only built two months ago, has fallen. This 700-meter-long portion of road, which includes the pumping station’s main line, has been fully submerged. The SMC has issued a notice to RB Construction, the contractor in charge of this road, stating that a twofold penalty will be applied after the repairs are completed.

Residents and opposition parties in Surat have spoken out about the situation, blaming the SMC for failing to assure high-quality road construction and upkeep. They believe that frequent road collapses and damage are apparent signs of corruption and incompetence.

Local activist Rajesh Patel highlighted his dissatisfaction, adding, “This is more than just shoddy construction. The link between contractors, authorities, and politicians is what causes such terrible work. The average people suffer as a result of their greed and incompetence.

The SMC has committed to undertake a thorough inquiry into the incidents and hold those involved accountable. Contractors engaged in the building of the roads damaged by the first heavy showers will be served with notifications and will be required to shoulder the costs of repairing the damaged roads throughout Surat.