A third of AP highways are unfit for motoring

HYDERABAD: A third of the 70,394 km roads in the state have become unfit for motoring following their damage in recent cyclones and floods.Lack of or insufficient funds is hampering repairing and re-carpeting as the government has released only Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore over the past six years against the requirement of Rs 1,200 crore.The roads and buildings department has been facing fund crunch for the past six years.Due to floods, cyclones and north, south and western monsoons, roads of a length of 23,000 km were damaged last year.In some case, officials took up repairs anticipating release of funds but the money was not released.The roads and building department, which maintains state highways, has to re-carpet roads to a length of 12,000 km per year by spending Rs 1,200 crore.But due to shortage of funds, renewal is being done in respect of only 6,000 km roads per year by spending Rs 600 crore.As a result, the other 6,000 km of roads are in deplorable condition.According to sources, the state highways in Khammam, Nizamabad, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram districts and towns like Bhimavaram, Amalapuram and Kakinada are badly damaged on account of the soil being loose there and other reasons.The department needs Rs 670 crore to undertake repairs, including strengthening road shoulders with soil on both sides of the 70,394 km roads every year but the government is not releasing the money even for repairs, let alone for re-carpeting.According to officials, metal, diesel, bitumen and labour costs have gone up but funds have not been increased in budget As government’s financial condition is very critical, none should expect good roads in near future.But motorists are worried as bad roads are causing damage to vehicles.“I incur considerable expenditure on repairs regularly,” said K Raghava Rao, a lorry owner in Khammam.In Andhra region, roads in north coastal districts were particularly in a bad shape, he said.N Murali, a four-wheeler owner, wanted to know why government was not maintaining roads even though it was collecting road tax.