I speak purely on what I have seen; perhaps I may not have seen the full picture, as it’s a small clip of a road being done that I saw.

This is about repairing roads in suburban areas and villages.

The pictures I saw recently were either of repairs being effected to an existing foot path or of laying a brand new access road for small vehicles to travel.

They showed small tractors preparing the road initially and then pouring cement mixture instead of tar. What I didn’t see was reinforcement of the road surface before the laying of concrete.

There were many enthusiastic people assisting in the project. It was welcome news for those of us who are living abroad. We saw how people got together for the development of the country. However, the expenses given for the construction were very high.

Whenever cement is used on road surfaces, reinforcement is essential and there should be left tiny gaps at regular intervals to avoid cracks developing.

However, in my opinion, the use of cement in road building is wrong, especially in tropical countries because, cement deteriorates due to heat and pressure. When concrete roads are damaged, the situation becomes worse.

We know once a road or a footpath is built, it attracts vehicles. So, it must be properly done. And it must be maintained but the question is whether that could be done given the bureaucratic lethargy and other negative factors.

Tar roads may develop pot holes but repairs are easier and cheaper.

I also saw a news item recently where a young student had been killed by a cement slab which fell on him while he was walking under an overpass on a newly built road. This kind of work must be done under proper supervision without leaving any room for disasters.