The public works department (PWD) on Sunday launched a citywide pre-monsoon road repair drive targeting around 2,000 damaged stretches and potholes.PWD launches pre-monsoon drive to repair 2,000 damaged roads in DelhiPWD minister Parvesh Verma, who was inspecting repair work near ITO, said, “Over the past year, approximately 12,700 potholes have been repaired. These potholes are largely on roads that were constructed during the previous government’s tenure. Since the quality of those roads was not up to the required standard, such issues have emerged over time. The new roads that we are constructing today come with a five-year warranty. If any defects arise during this period, the contractor will be responsible for maintaining and repairing them.”Verma said that the special drive forms part of the Delhi Government’s broader pre-monsoon preparedness efforts aimed at improving road conditions. According to departmental records, 14,757 potholes were identified on PWD roads between January 1 and June 4, 2026, out of which 12,762 potholes had already been repaired.The drive comes had a time when sharp rise in bitumen prices triggered by the conflict in West Asia has slowed down Delhi’s road relaying programme. HT had earlier reported that the road-owning agencies have been tasked with redeveloping 3,379km of roads in 2026 under a framework set out by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Of this, 70% of the work — or 2,361 km — is to be completed by October 2026.The official said bitumen prices have increased by 40-50%, making it economically inviable for contractors to execute projects at the rates at which contracts were awarded. Another government official said that of the 3,379km of roads identified for redevelopment, 1,148 km require bitumen surfacing while 2,231 km are to be converted into concrete roads.