GVMC deploys ₹1.30-crore machine for faster pothole repairs in Visakhapatnam

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has deployed an advanced ‘BT Pothole Doctor’ machine to speed up pothole repairs and improve the quality of road patchwork across the city.

District Collector and GVMC Special Officer Abhishikth Kishore, along with GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg, inspected the machine and witnessed a demonstration near CARE Hospital in the GVMC South Zone on Monday.

Officials demonstrated the machine’s operation, including cleaning potholes, filling them with the required bituminous mixture, and completing the patchwork.

Mr Kishore inspected the repaired stretch and sought details about the quality of work, the time taken for repairs, and the machine’s operation and maintenance.

Mr Garg explained the machine’s features, capacity, and working mechanism. He said the GVMC had procured the equipment at a cost of ₹1.30 crore to facilitate faster, high-quality repairs on major roads as well as other roads across the city.

The agency that supplied the machine will also undertake its operation and maintenance for three years, he said.

According to Mr Garg, the machine can undertake patchwork over nearly 300 square metres a day. Depending on the size of a pothole, a repair can be completed within 10 to 15 minutes, allowing work to be carried out at around 10 to 15 locations a day.

The GVMC has prepared a special action plan to deploy the machine across all its zones based on requirements. Priority will be given to major roads, stretches witnessing heavy vehicular movement, and locations where potholes require urgent attention.