Vizag's Annual Agony: Why Our Roads Can't Seem to Handle the Rain

Ah, Visakhapatnam. A city of such beauty, really. But for all its coastal charm, there’s a recurring, deeply frustrating flaw that surfaces like clockwork after every decent downpour: the roads. You could say it’s almost a ritual, this annual unraveling. And for once, it seems even more pronounced, a veritable minefield of potholes and jagged asphalt just waiting to greet unsuspecting motorists.

It’s not just some obscure back lane, either. We're talking about the arteries of the city, those crucial lifelines that get people to work, to market, to simply live their lives. From the sprawling stretches of Gajuwaka heading towards Anakapalle, or perhaps the route from Pendurthi down to Chodavaram — a real test of patience, honestly. Even the National Highway, often seen as a bastion of smoother travel, isn't immune to the emerging craters. Commuters, they’re just fed up. Imagine navigating a slalom course just to get your kids to school, or your vehicle taking a constant beating. It’s a recipe for traffic snarls, for sure, but also, tragically, for accidents. A real worry.

So, what's the culprit here? Well, it's a bit of a mix, isn't it? One major factor, many will tell you, is the sheer volume — and often, the sheer weight — of heavy vehicles rumbling through. They simply pound the life out of the surface. Then there’s the monsoon, naturally, washing away what little integrity some of these repairs might have had. But, and this is the kicker, folks are really questioning the quality of those repairs. Are we just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, year after year? It certainly feels that way. One motorist, a regular on the Gajuwaka-Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Junction stretch — a notorious trouble spot, by the way — summed it up pretty well: “It's a temporary fix every time, but we need something permanent. Our vehicles are suffering; our backs are suffering; and frankly, our wallets are suffering from the constant repairs.”

And that, in truth, is the crux of it all. It’s a plea, really, from the ordinary citizens of Vizag: stop with the quick patches. Invest in proper materials, robust construction, something that can truly withstand the elements and the relentless march of traffic. Because, let’s be honest, a city on the rise like Visakhapatnam deserves infrastructure that keeps pace, not roads that perpetually drag it down. Isn't it time we built better, for good?