After Bengaluru received a spate of rains recently after a long dry spell, familiar rain-related problems like potholes are back. Over the last one week, people have been complaining about potholes on several key roads and bad stretches, making their journeys dangerous.
Although the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claims that it has been routinely filling potholes using cold-mix, many residents complain that many roads appear to have been unattended to. In some areas, the residents say that despite work orders for asphalting being issued before the poll code came into being, the work was not executed.
Vajapeyam Srivatsa, a resident of Balaji Layout near Kanakapura Road, talking to The Hindu, said in about six wards [five in Bommanahalli and one in R.R. Nagar zone] the road condition had deteriorated. Even before the rain, the roads were bad and filled with craters, he said.
“The BBMP failed to attend to the problems in time and now when it rains, it’s a risky ride. The water flooding the roads in Anjanapura, Hemmigepura, Uttarahalli, Jaraganahalli, Yelachenahalli, and Vasanthapura wards makes these potholes invisible and already a few bikers fell down owing to this. A stretch of the Kanakapura Road is also in a bad shape,” he said.
Kiran Kumar, a civic activist, said that a stretch between Baiyappanahalli metro station to K.R. Puram is also very bad. Even footpaths have problems, he said. “During the recent rain, vehicles struggled to move. The BBMP has not cleaned drains owing to which roads get flooded and this creates more potholes. The BBMP should act fast to fill potholes and avert potential road tragedies,” he said.
A resident of BTM Layout said that there were multiple ongoing civic works by both the civic body and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in their area, which had ruined the condition of roads and the rain had only added to it. “While many civic works are ongoing, the BBMP cites elections for not filling potholes. Now the rain has begun and soon the monsoon will set in. How will the civic body fill potholes?,” he rued.
Another resident said in a stretch where metro rail works are under way, potholes are not filled and it is really hazardous to commute. On other roads, despite complaints being filed on the Sahaya application, nothing was done, many complain.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said the pothole filling exercise was not affected owing to the elections as it comes under regular work. “The BBMP is filling potholes regularly, and as and when the civic body receives complaints,” he said.
