Port Blair Oct 5: A road accident in Port Blair today—blamed on a battered stretch and drunk driving—has once again exposed the sorry state of Andaman’s arterial roads. For commuters, potholes and poor surfaces have become as dangerous as reckless motorists.“Every monsoon, the roads collapse. We live in constant fear of skidding or hitting a pothole,” said a number of commuters from different parts of the city after the road mishap.
Residents say the government’s repeated patchwork repairs are failing. “How many more lives must be lost before we act?” asked a driver who often drives along the accident-prone NH-4. Police, however, insist they are cracking down on rash and drunk driving. “Road safety is a shared responsibility. We urge citizens to cooperate,” said an official of the department, on condition of anonymity.
Experts argue the real solution lies in building rubberised and plastic-bitumen roads that can endure the islands’ extreme weather. “Given the climate, roads here don’t last long. Using plastic and rubber in road construction can save lives and reduce maintenance,” said a senior APWD engineer. Padma Shri awardee Dr. Rajagopalan Vasudevan, known as India’s ‘Plastic Man’, backs the move. His eco-friendly technique—mixing shredded plastic waste with bitumen—has helped build over 100,000 km of stronger, pothole-resistant roads across 11 states. “Plastic-bitumen roads can withstand heavy rain and wear far better than conventional ones. This is about safety as much as sustainability,” Dr. Vasudevan noted in an earlier interview.
Infrastructure experts here, meanwhile, are urging the administration to shift its focus from temporary patchwork repairs to long-term, climate-resilient solutions. “It is a fact that given the climatic conditions, the roads in Andamans don’t last long. Tattered roads not only result in loss of life and property but also give a harrowing time to commuters. The use of plastic and rubber in road construction can provide a sustainable answer,” said another senior civil engineer from the Andaman Public Works Department.
For a rain-lashed island chain that relies heavily on its roads for tourism and daily transport, residents believe the choice is clear: embrace innovation or keep risking lives on crumbling roads.
