Ahmedabad: Fed up with roads being repeatedly dug up, AMC has laid down new rules to protect their longevity. In a sweeping new policy announced on Wednesday, Municipal Commissioner M. Thennarasan declared that no permits to excavate newly built roads will be issued for 3 to 5 years, aligning with their defect liability period.
A pre-construction condition survey to ensure better planning for underground utilities is also part of the guidelines issued by the commissioner on Wednesday.
It emphasised that the engineering department must conduct a mandatory survey of existing utilities (drainage, stormwater and water lines) beneath the road before any road-related work, be it constructing a new road or resurfacing or white-topping one.
Information on the age of the water, drainage and stormwater lines, the frequency of potholes occurring on the road, and the need for strengthening the stretch must be recorded. If necessary, the cost of strengthening should be included in the road work budget estimate.
For roads that frequently develop potholes, it was ordered to decide on strengthening the underlying water, stormwater or drainage lines before resurfacing. Before road construction, all private agencies involved in underground utilities, such as telecom and electricity, must be urged to complete their work. Once a new road is built, no excavation permits will be granted during the defect liability period, and this will be communicated via email.
For new roads under town planning schemes or roads wider than 60 feet, AMC has mandated the inclusion of provisions like water service lines and catch pits on both sides. Carriageway width in these areas must account for the city’s development over the next five years. To ensure better road quality, AMC has also mandated pavements on both sides to minimize dust and stricter checks on proper watering, compaction and rolling after the site is dug up.