Vijayawada’s ₹1.48-Crore ‘Road Doctor’ To Heal Potholes, Cut Emissions

Vijayawada: In a first-of-its-kind, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Wednesday rolled out the state-of-the-art Infrared Road Pothole Repairing Mobile Machine, popularly called the “Road Doctor,” on the Gurunanak Colony main road.

The advanced mobile road repair unit has been purchased for ₹1.48 crore under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) utilising the 15th Finance Commission grant.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Rammohan launched the Road Doctor in the presence of VMC officials. The public representatives subsequently witnessed the machine’s functioning.

Sivanath said the machine will be extensively deployed to improve the road infrastructure in the city, which will simultaneously curb the pollution levels. The MP emphasised that the state government, in coordination with the centre, is committed to integrated development of roads, drainage, and stormwater systems, with the broader goal of transforming Vijayawada into a model city in the Amaravati region.

Highlighting the machine’s advantages, Sivanath said unlike conventional methods requiring heating of tar to high-temperature, an infrared system within the Road Doctor recycles existing asphalt at optimal temperatures and reuses it on-site. This process reduces carbon emissions by up to 98 per cent. The machine can swiftly repair potholes and uneven stretches with minimal manpower, the MP pointed out.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Rammohan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting green development missions nationwide. He praised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for effectively utilising central funds. He pointed out that the mobile machine repairs pothole within minutes using infrared radiation technology without causing any environmental pollution.

Others present on the occasion included corporators Devineni Aparna, Chennupati Usharani and Mummaneni Prasad, additional commissioner (Projects) Dr. D. Chandrasekhar, chief engineer (in-charge) P. Satyakumari and other officials.