Ravi Keerthi was negotiating a huge pothole in J.P. Nagar last week when his two-wheeler skidded. He ended up with head injuries that required an operation and bed rest for several days.
Many motorists like Mr. Keerthi, whose entire commute comprises negotiating potholes, will have to wait another two weeks before they can expect some relief.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Saturday, claimed that continuous rain over the past few weeks had intensified the pothole problem. It would need another two full weeks to address this issue.
BBMP Commissioner G. Kumar Naik said that the agency had started repair works ‘as soon as the sun came out’. The BBMP had even organised a two-day workshop with the Rasta Centre for Road Technology to help engineers address this problem.
Citizen Action Forum (CAF) president D.S. Rajashekar, however, didn’t buy into the BBMP’s argument. “The rain didn’t cause potholes on the international airport road or NICE Road. Why did potholes appear only on roads under the BBMP? It is because officials are hand-in-glove with contractors that quality is not assured,” he said.
Mr. Naik said that potholes on arterial and sub-arterial roads would be filled on priority. “Nearly 375 km of roads are still under the defect liability period and contractors will be made to fill potholes on these roads. New road works will be carried out on 354 km and contractors entrusted with the work have been asked to fill potholes and later take up other civil works,” he said.
He added that the total cost of repairing potholes in all eight of zones is estimated at Rs. 10.64 crore. “Part of road maintenance is also to ensure that rainwater flows into the drains. Stagnant water causes potholes. The engineers have been told to desilt drains,” he said.
The rain didn’t cause potholes on the international airport road or NICE Road
D.S. Rajashekar, president, Citizen Action Forum
