Facing growing public anger over crumbling and waterlogged roads that turn dangerous after even light rain, the Haryana government has announced a series of stringent measures. The state has directed all deputy commissioners to conduct monthly reviews of road conditions and ensure timely repairs.
Tech-Driven Public Monitoring Strengthened
To enhance oversight and simplify public reporting, the government is bolstering its recently launched Mhari Sadak application. The app allows residents to directly report potholes and other road hazards. In a significant push for wider adoption, the state plans a mass outreach campaign, sending messages to every driving licence holder and vehicle owner registered in Haryana, urging them to download the app and report bad road stretches.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini emphasized that the messages should reach everyone so that "maximum residents can use the app and contribute towards making all roads in the state pothole-free."
The app's impact is already visible in its data. Officials revealed that within just one month of launch, the platform received 24,482 complaints. Action has been completed on 10,501 of these, while work is currently in progress on another 12,930 complaints.
"Upon resolution of complaints received through the app, 1,770 citizens expressed satisfaction, and about 1.2 lakh km of roads were made pothole-free," a senior government official stated.
Systemic Overhaul and Coordination Mandated
As the next phase, the government has made it mandatory to hold monthly review meetings for the Mhari Sadak app at the district level, chaired by the deputy commissioners. Furthermore, the chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) has been instructed to submit a detailed report promptly. This report must specify how many roads have been repaired so far, how many are under repair currently, and the timeline for completing the remaining work.
This initiative, officials explained, aims to foster better coordination among the numerous agencies controlling different stretches of city roads. These bodies include urban local bodies, PWD, HSVP, Haryana State Marketing Board, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, zila parishads, and GMDA. All roads under these agencies have been brought under the app's purview to support the state's pothole-free drive.
In a parallel development, the government has announced plans to develop one smart road in each district, complete with constructed pathways alongside it.
A Familiar Monsoon Struggle for Gurgaon Commuters
For daily commuters, this announcement comes against a recurring monsoon backdrop. Each rainy season leaves the city grappling with potholes anew. Residents consistently flag stretches like SPR, Pataudi Road, Basai Road, and internal sector roads in South City, Ardee City, and Vipul World as cratered and hazardous.
"It's like an obstacle course out there. Every day, we risk damaging our vehicles or getting into an accident," said Sushant Sharma, a resident of Sector 65. He added that despite tall claims by authorities, "nothing changed on the ground."
The state's push for a tech-enabled, review-heavy system is now a test of whether systemic monitoring and direct public involvement can finally break this annual cycle of disrepair and danger.
