The Delhi government is set to launch a city-wide road repair and strengthening initiative to make the national capital pothole-free before Diwali, Chief Minister Atishi announced on Sunday. Starting Monday at 6 am, all Delhi ministers, along with local MLAs and officials, will begin road inspections. “We aim to provide pothole-free roads to all Delhiites by the end of October, before Diwali,” Atishi stated, adding that the Public Works Department (PWD) has been tasked with repairing 1,400 km of roads.
However, the BJP criticized the move, calling the government’s response “too late.”
As the newly appointed Chief Minister, Atishi and her five ministers will take charge of different regions of Delhi for a week, personally inspecting roads to determine repair needs. Atishi, MLA from Kalkaji, will oversee South and Southeast Delhi, while Environment Minister Gopal Rai will inspect Northeast Delhi roads. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot will handle West and Southwest Delhi, Saurabh Bharadwaj will focus on East Delhi, and Imran Hussain will visit Central Delhi. Roads in North and Northwest Delhi have been assigned to Mukesh Ahlawat.
This decision follows days after former Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal inspected road conditions near Delhi University’s North Campus, prompting him to urge Atishi to commence repair work immediately. Kejriwal also raised the issue during the recent Assembly session.
Atishi, who also holds the PWD portfolio, explained, “In the past two days, Kejriwal ji and I visited different areas of the city to inspect roads. We found several stretches in poor condition, with potholes caused by rain or unfinished work by agencies like Delhi Jal Board, BSES, and Tata Power.”
During an hour-long ministerial meeting on Sunday, a detailed review of 1,400 km of PWD roads was conducted to identify completely damaged roads and stretches with localized issues. The PWD manages major arterial roads, including Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) oversees colony roads.
Before the G20 Summit last September, authorities identified 6,224 potholes across Delhi, with 2,146 under PWD jurisdiction and 4,078 under MCD.
A senior PWD official explained that while pothole repairs are ongoing, the recent heavy rains have exacerbated road damage, and repairs will begin in October after the monsoon season.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticized AAP, accusing the Kejriwal government of being disconnected from the city’s issues. He added that Kejriwal resigned to avoid accountability and left Atishi to face the “anti-incumbency wave.”
Comparing Atishi’s situation to a student cramming before an exam, Sachdeva remarked, “She is trying to make up for years of neglect just before the elections.”
AAP countered that BJP had deliberately stalled development work to harm the party’s image, but with Kejriwal’s return, they are committed to finishing the necessary road repairs.
