A nightmare of a ride on Mysore Road

IN POOR CONDITION: Mysore Road near Gali Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Bangalore resembles a dirt track even as many potholes have developed on this stretch slowing down traffic. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Travelling on the busy Mysore Road in the city is a nightmarish experience these days.

Commuters have to not only manoeuvre through the many potholes, but also put up with dust emanating from mud-filled potholes.

A large number of potholes dot the stretch between Sirsi Circle Flyover and KIMCO Junction on this arterial road that was re-laid one-and-a-half years ago. Even a fortnight after the rain stopped, the work on repairing the road is yet to commence.

While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities promised to release Rs. 50 crore to fill potholes across the city, no effort appears to have been made to hold contractors who executed “shoddy work” responsible for the upkeep of the roads, a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar told The Hindu.

The potholes are also leading to traffic pileups on this busy road. The stretches near Toll Gate and Bapujinagar are the most affected. The stretch of road from Gali Anjaneyaswamy Temple and Mysore Road Satellite Bus Terminal has been completely damaged. The stretch in front of a petrol bunk at Toll Gate has completely lost the bitumen cover. The bus bay at the Toll Gate bus-stand is filled with mud, giving a bumpy ride to commuters.

With the BBMP looking the other way, the traffic police had to pitch-in as it was their responsibility to ensure smooth flow of traffic. One of the officers in the Byatarayanapura Traffic Police Station said that constables had filled some potholes with construction debris. At Bapujinagar, the police had asked the owner of a hotel to sprinkle water on the road to prevent dust from rising, the officer said.

BBMP Commissioner Bharatlal Meena said that the process of filling potholes was on across the city. When it was brought to his notice that the Mysore Road has not been attended to, Mr. Meena said he would issue instructions to those concerned to carry out the work. Chief Engineer (Major Roads) Chikkarayappa said that the road could not be restored only by filling the potholes. Restoration would be taken up immediately and completed in a week, he added.