I received another mail from SM Hussain who writes, “The other day, I saw a motor-cyclist bumped into a branch of tree on the Delhi-Mathura Road, near Haldiram Sweets, and was seriously injured. The tree was uprooted a few days back when the hailstorm lashed the Capital. This is not an isolated accident. A number of accidents take place on Delhi roads not because of rash driving but because of callous attitude of MCD. It is not uncommon to see on Delhi roads trees/poles/wires uprooted because of rains or storms. They keep lying for days together without any one bothering about the great danger they pose to motorists.

“Of late, it has been observed that some people removed stones at many places from the dividers on the Mathura Road to make a convenient U-turn. These stones were left on the roadside, which may cause a big accident. These self-made U-turns pose a big traffic hazard. About the condition of the roads in Delhi (leaving VIP roads like Rajpath), lesser said the better. They are full of potholes and very badly maintained.

“Now with the onset of monsoons, their condition has become bad to worse. Every one in Delhi knows that there are some roads, which are prone to submersion in monsoons except the Delhi Government. That is the reason why no action is initiated for ages.”

I agree in the New Delhi area, authorities are very quick to remove such obstructions on roads. But that area comes under New Delhi Municipal Council and they are prompt in doing stuff. Now Municipal Corporation of Delhi is totally different with different work culture. God save that department. I can just imagine how traffic cops get their work done from them. Regarding the bad condition of roads, Delhi Traffic Police does an exercise every year before the onset of monsoon where they identify bad roads where potholes occur and water logging takes place. After this exercise they send the list to concerned civic authorities like NDMC, MCD, PWD and ask them to repair the road so that motorists don’t face any inconvenience. Now it depends on concerned civic department how they function. Some take the matter seriously and carry on the repairing work and some don’t.

I think the Delhi government should appoint a nodal agency or a cell, which should co-ordinate with different civic agencies and get the work done on urgent basis. At least before the monsoon comes, existing potholes should be filled up.