The Uttar Pradesh government has made over 44,000 roads pothole-free.

To achieve this milestone, a comprehensive approach encompassing pothole-free campaigns, renovation, and restoration efforts has been implemented.

Along with the Public Works Department, 10 other departments, including National Highways, Mandi Parishad, Urban Development and Rural Development have played pivotal roles in this initiative.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has prioritised road infrastructure as the key to the state’s progress and has implemented various measures to enhance it. The state government is making swift progress towards its goal of maintaining and ensuring pothole-free roads as part of this campaign.

The state government has set a target to make more than 51,000 roads pothole-free by the end of the 2023-24 financial year. Additionally, there is a target to renovate or restore approximately 34,000 roads. Consequently, the overarching goal is to render over 85,000 roads pothole-free.

So far, the government has already achieved success in making over 44,000 roads pothole-free by October 15. Among these, more than 24,000 roads have been made pothole-free, while approximately 20,000 roads have been renovated and restored. This translates to a 48 per cent success rate in pothole removal and a renovation/restoration success rate of over 57 per cent.

Looking at the departmental level, the Public Works Department (PWD) has been instrumental in making approximately 39,000 roads pothole-free. Of these, about 21,000 roads (representing 47 per cent of the target) have been rejuvenated solely through pothole removal, while approximately 18,000 roads (63 per cent of the target) have been improved through renovation and restoration efforts. The National Highway Department has successfully rendered 768 roads pothole-free, with 604 roads (over 77 per cent of the target) having their potholes removed and 164 roads (over 86 per cent of the target) undergoing rejuvenation.

Mandi Parishad has achieved pothole-free status for a total of 377 roads (369 through pothole removal and eight through renovation and restoration). Similarly, the Panchayati Raj Department has made 274 roads pothole-free (128 through pothole removal and 146 through renovation and restoration), while the Irrigation Department has contributed 58 roads (26 through pothole removal and 32 through renovation and restoration).

The Rural Development Department has been highly successful in making all 183 roads pothole-free, while the Urban Development Department has made 2,137 roads pothole-free (1315 through pothole removal and 822 through renovation and restoration). The Housing and Urban Planning Department has made 25 roads pothole-free (nine through pothole removal and 16 through renovation and restoration), and the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department has contributed to making 1,343 roads pothole-free (1,060 through pothole removal and 283 through renovation and restoration).