Pre-monsoon push: NMC survey to identify potholes

Nagpur: In a major step towards ensuring pothole-free travel this monsoon, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioned a state-of-the-art hotmix plant at Hingna MIDC and simultaneously launched a comprehensive citywide survey of tar roads across all 10 zones.

The upgraded plant, equipped with energy-efficient counterflow drum mix technology, is expected to significantly accelerate the pace of road resurfacing and repairs while reducing fuel consumption and pollution. Municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari directed officials to fast-track road restoration efforts using the new facility ahead of the rains.

On Thursday, hot mix department executive engineer Ajay Dahake chaired a review meeting and instructed zonal teams to identify tar roads with potholes exceeding five square metres. These major potholes will be restored using the hotmix plant, while smaller, isolated ones will be patched with jet patcher machines. Roads with over 50% surface damage will be fully renovated.

The survey reports are expected in the coming days, based on which repair work will be rolled out. However, NMC officials acknowledged a key challenge: multiple agencies, including Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Public Works Department (PWD), and NHAI, also own portions of the city's road network but do not actively maintain them. "NMC is the only agency routinely working to keep roads pothole-free," a senior official noted.

Meanwhile, NMC's public works department conducted sample testing of the new plant's asphalt output. A third-party quality audit is also being carried out by Geotech.

Spread across 6.73 acres, the newly commissioned hotmix plant can now produce 60–90 tonne asphalt per hour — up from the previous 30–40 TPH. It uses light diesel oil (LDO) for fuel efficiency and is fully automated. Five new tippers, rollers, and pavers have also been procured to support large-scale operations.

In a nod to sustainability, over 5,000 saplings have been planted on-site using recycled drums. The plant also features a vehicle washing ramp, new operation sheds, and an entrance gate built from materials salvaged from the old plant.

NMC aims to use the upgraded facility and coordinated survey findings to swiftly plug road gaps before the monsoon hits.