In a significant stride towards fortifying the city’s infrastructure, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has embarked on a comprehensive re-survey of Pune’s road network. This ambitious undertaking, the first of its kind in six years, is geared towards collecting precise data on the condition and extent of Pune’s intricate road system.
The amassed data is poised to play a pivotal role in streamlining road maintenance and prioritizing repair projects, with an estimated budget allocation of Rs 4.5 crore designated for this crucial initiative. Leveraging modern technology to ensure accuracy, the entire survey is slated for completion within the next one and a half to two years.
Spanning an impressive 1,400 kilometers, Pune’s road network encompasses a diverse range of surfaces, including cement and asphalt. The recent incorporation of 34 surrounding villages into the municipal fold has expanded the city’s road jurisdiction by an additional 200 to 300 kilometers. With a burgeoning population and a surging vehicular count, the demand for road widening and fresh constructions has surged. The impending survey is poised to furnish an up-to-date inventory of the city’s roads.
Employing cutting-edge technology akin to Google Street View, this survey will employ camera-equipped vehicles fitted with laser sensors to meticulously evaluate road conditions, gradients, and quality. At five-kilometer intervals, photographs, along with precise latitude and longitude coordinates, will be captured. The data collection will encompass details such as road chambers, rainwater channels, and potholes, facilitating informed decisions on road repair priorities. Furthermore, it will encompass measurements of footpath widths along the roads.
The collected data will pave the way for road categorization into groups ranging from one to five, each corresponding to a specific fund allocation. The road department of the municipal corporation asserts that this proactive approach will mitigate the need for frequent road excavations, often necessitated by water supply, sewage, and electricity works, thereby averting the formation of potholes. This invaluable data will be seamlessly integrated into the Geographic Information System (GIS) of the municipality.
This comprehensive survey will encompass updates on crucial metrics such as road length, width, composition, footpaths, and cycle lanes. It will also involve an array of technical assessments to evaluate road quality and load-bearing capacity, facilitating precise determinations of required repair thicknesses.
VG Kulkarni, Chief Engineer of the Road Department at the Pune Municipal Corporation, underscores the project’s significance in elevating Pune’s road infrastructure and ensuring safe, efficient commuting experiences for its residents.
