BENGALURU: Following the tragic death of a 27-year-old who was riding a bike that hit a pothole, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to conduct a survey of all major roads in the Central Business District (CBD) area in three days and carry out filling up or repair work on war-footing in 15 days.
A division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice SR Krishna Kumar orally observed that it feels guilty whenever they see reports of accidental deaths due to bad roads after the court was informed about the incident on Sunday night in city when the public interest litigation filed by Vijayan Menon and others were taken up for hearing. The BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta and Engineer-in-chief S Prabhakar were also present.
M Ashwin died in an accident allegedly caused by a pothole at MS Palya which comes under the Yelahanka Zone of BBMP. Then court noted that we all feel very sorry for the untimely death of the
young man. The BBMP filed its response in compliance with an earlier order regarding the work plan to fill up or repair potholes in the CBD area of the city.
We are not satisfied with the work plan, the court said, and ordered that the work of repairing potholes should begin immediately on all the roads, using proper technology and making maximum use of machines which were earlier used to repair the potholes. Gupta and Prabhakar assured the court that they will make all possible efforts to complete major repair works in 15 days on war-footing. The court ordered that a survey report along with a status report of the work done would have to be submitted.
Meanwhile, BBMP counsel V Srinidhi submitted that the condition of most of the roads has worsened due to digging up of roads for development work taken up by various agencies who should also be impleaded as respondents so that they may also have the responsibility and co-ordination in proper maintenance of the roads.Hence, the court permitted him to move appropriate application giving details of all those agencies for impleading as respondents.