AMC Unveils Strict Road Repair SOP: Dangerous Potholes Must Be Fixed Within 48 Hours

AHMEDABAD — Cracking down on perennial pothole woes and patchy infrastructure, the Gujarat government has rolled out a stringent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mandating comprehensive road surveys before and after every monsoon across all municipal corporations. Following the state's directive, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) commissioner has ordered the engineering department to enforce strict timelines, threatening severe accountability for substandard workmanship.

Under the newly instituted framework, municipal authorities can no longer drag their feet on civic repairs. The SOP establishes clear-cut deadlines: hazardous and severely damaged stretches posing immediate risks to commuters must be repaired within 48 hours. Meanwhile, concrete road defects must be addressed within 15 days, and minor patchworks wrapped up within a month. Furthermore, authorities must upload photographic evidence of completed repairs onto the civic application within 72 hours.

Technology Mandates and Quality Control

To eliminate shoddy construction practices, the guidelines place heavy emphasis on pre-construction checks and modern repair techniques. Contractors and Project Management Consultants (PMCs) must submit detailed quality assurance plans before deploying hotmix asphalt.

• Rigorous Tracking: Officials must log the exact weight, dispatch time, arrival time, and temperature of materials leaving hotmix plants. Substandard materials are strictly barred from reaching work sites.
• Modern Techniques: Repair crews are instructed to properly clean surfaces, apply appropriate bitumen emulsions, and leverage advanced methods such as cold emulsion injection and infrared recycling.
• Public Safety: Work sites must be properly barricaded during repairs, and finished roads must maintain proper levels and slopes while ensuring pedestrian paths, cycle tracks, and facilities remain accessible for divyang individuals.

RCC Roads for High-Stress Corridors

Addressing the persistent problem of roads breaking down repeatedly after every downpour, the SOP introduces a systematic registry. Municipal officials and design consultants must jointly inspect roads slated for milling, resurfacing, or regrading.

Crucially, areas troubled by weak soil, black cotton earth, high water tables, or chronic waterlogging will receive specialized attention. The guidelines prioritize laying Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) roads in industrial zones experiencing heavy vehicular movement, BRTS corridors, accident-prone spots, and locations where recurring repairs drain public exchequers. Additionally, authorities must rehabilitate underlying drainage, stormwater lines, and manholes before launching any new road surfacing project.