Days after a newly white-topped part of the Kensington Road caved in, forming a giant sinkhole, Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar batted for white-topping of roads and termed it a solution to rid roads of potholes on Thursday.
He said white-topping of roads will solve this [potholes on roads] problem for 25 to 40 years.
The sinkhole on Kensington Road near the Ulsoor lake has drawn the ire of many, including the Aam Aadmi Party who held a protest on Wednesday and demanded a probe into the incident, as white-topping of roads, more costlier than asphalting, was pitched as a panacea for poor quality roads.
While the civic body has blamed water leakage for the sinkhole, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has denied the same.
Responding to a query raised by H.S. Gopinath, MLC, during Question Hour, Mr. Shivakumar said that there had been demands to white-top even interior roads and he would soon call for a meeting of legislators from Bengaluru to discuss about white-topping of roads in the city.
“There are 1.14 crore vehicles in Bengaluru. Over 1,300 two-wheelers and 490 cars are registered daily. Heavy traffic movement is resulting in potholed roads, and white-topping will solve this problem as it lasts 25 to 40 years,” he said.
“There is an allocation of ₹1,000 crore for white-topping this year. However, there is a demand for white-topping smaller roads as well. I will soon call for a meeting of the legislators to understand the need for white-topping in different areas of Bengaluru,” he said.
The menace of digging roads for laying cables has increased in Bengaluru, and it is damaging roads. Hence, white-topping needs to be taken up in a systematic way, Mr. Shivakumar said.
“The government has been releasing funds for the BBMP, but it needs to generate more revenue and reduce dependency on the government. We are looking at increasing taxes in order to generate more revenue and strengthen the finances of the BBMP. I welcome suggestions on this. We need to work together to protect Bengaluru’s reputation,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
