With monsoon rains, pothole menace makes a comeback with a vengeance in Bengaluru-OxBig News Network

A pothole at Chickpete in Bengaluru. M. Lokesh, Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure), BBMP told The Hindu that as per present data, they had identified 647 potholes of which they had filled 313, and work on the rest was underway. 
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

As monsoon rains have begun to lash Bengaluru, potholes and bad stretches of roads have resurfaced with a vengeance. Social media is abuzz with several commuters pointing out bad stretches, drawing the attention of civic authorities. Not only are internal bylanes bad, the condition of key arterial roads, like Kanakapura Road, has also worsened. 

For instance, a 3.5 km  stretch from Doddakallasandra to Gubbalala has become unmotorable. Television actor Aniruddha Jatkar recently took to social media to draw the attention of Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D. K. Shivakumar to the ‘unmotorable’ bad stretch. 

Same is the condition of several other roads across Bengaluru. Many accidents due to potholes and bad stretches go unreported, rue commuters.

For instance, on May 22, a resident of Thubarahalli met with an accident in one of the bad stretches. His leg had to be amputated as he was run over by a water tanker, residents point out. 

Commuters and residents are also complaining that despite flagging potholes, they remain unattended for months on end, and even when addressed, civic officials are only using a wet mix, putting mud and jelly stones. The potholes reappear with just one spell of rain. 

During a reality check by The Hindu, commuters pointed out that a 4-km stretch between Varthur Kodi and Gunjur, road connecting Ashok Nagar and Residency Road, BSNL Road in Jayanagar, have been full of potholes for several months now. There has been no improvement despite complaints. 

Muniraju, a commuter who passes by Ashok Nagar every day, said that the road near Garuda Mall is dotted with several potholes, making daily commute a hassle.

Pramod L., a resident of Jayanagar, said that BSNL Road and several other roads in Jayanagar 5th Block had turned into bad stretches.  “Several of these potholes have been left unrepaired over the past months. Commuting is dangerous, especially when it rains,” he said. 

BBMP speeds up work 

Recently, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Administrator Tushar Giri Nath held a review meeting in which he directed officials to speed up work on filling potholes.

M. Lokesh, Chief Engineer (Road Infrastructure), BBMP told The Hindu that as per present data, they had identified 647 potholes of which they had filled 313, and work on the rest was underway. 

Filling potholes not enough 

Citizens have pointed out that filling potholes is not enough. What was needed was interventions to ensure the roads are not waterlogged with every rain.

The lack of a proper drainage system and failure to desilt existing drains have led to water overflowing onto roads, eventually causing potholes, argued Jagadish Reddy, of Varthur Rising.

“The disruption of the drain network and overflowing drains have led to flooded roads making pothole menace on the roads severe during monsoon,” said Srivastava, Secretary, Changemakers of Kanakapura Road. 

As per the last update by the civic body, they were yet to sort out waterlogging on at least 82 road stretches flagged by Bengaluru Traffic Police.