It is a problem that contributes to worsening of traffic jam and greatly enhances the risk of accidents. Above all, it considerably slows down the pace of life in the city, which is not fast enough even at normal times.

The most unfortunate part of the story is that the DCC and the public sector utility organisations have not yet found a solution to the roads becoming burrowed and rutted during this season. It is difficult to say precisely how many times the agencies concerned have been requested to show a better sense of timing when it comes to digging the roads for installing utility service lines, or repairing the existing ones. All the appeals and exhortations have been ignored with typical nonchalance. For some inexplicable reasons, the badly mutilated roads are never put back to their original positions with any sense of urgency. We don't know what the DCC and other agencies concerned have to say about this chronic lapse, repeated over and over again.

Then there is the question of corruption which invariably leads to use of substandard materials and lowering of the standard of work. The heavy load of traffic and incessant rain do the rest in making the roads fragile.

As we have pointed out many times in the past while dealing with such issues, lack of coordination among the agencies concerned is a major handicap that has to be addressed before we can have better road conditions during the rains. There should be a designated coordinating agency for the purpose. Obviously, fixing responsibilities for lapses and ensuring accountability would be part and parcel of that agency's work.