BENGALURU: Pothole filling isn’t rocket science; it is a simple science but conveniently not followed, say experts. Their comments come at a time when Bengalureans continue to struggle commuting on pothole-ridden roads and Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has made improving the quality of life in the city one of his top priorities.
They argue that the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has prescribed step-by-step Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pothole repairs and road laying, but the problem lies in its implementation and enforcement.
“We follow the Indian Road Congress (IRC) SOP for pothole filling. However, they are hardly followed,” said traffic expert Prof MN Sreehari. “It involves cutting the pothole, cleaning the dust, applying tack coat, filling with bitumen and completing the process with rolling.”
The issue of poor quality road works and recurring potholes had also come up immediately after Gowda took charge as Bengaluru development minister, with him questioning GBA engineers about recurring potholes and asking them whether building a good road was a ‘rocket science’, in his maiden meeting. He had also got an engineer suspended after finding out that the asphalt proportion and thickness was below the prescribed standards in Sampangiram Nagar.
Last year, the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had conducted a workshop to provide hands-on training on the pothole-filling SOP to its engineers, with Chief Commissioner M Maheswar Rao stressing the need for regular pothole filling across the city while strictly following the prescribed procedure, also directing the quality control division to monitor the works and officials to inspect them.
Former Leader of Opposition in BBMP NR Ramesh said, “Right from the quality of the raw material used to the temperature of the asphalt mix, every single step that needs to be followed during road laying and pothole filling is laid down.
However, contractors use sub-standard material for obvious reasons, including the alleged commissions they have to pay to their political bosses.”
The SOP apart, every road in the city comes with a Defect Liability Period (DLP), under which contractors are responsible for rectifying defects that emerge during the stipulated period, Ramesh said. He alleged that except in a few places, potholes are generally not cut into rectangular or square shape before being repaired, while sub-standard quality materials are used, that get washed away during the rains.
“For 40mm roads, the DLP is two years and for 20mm roads it is one year under the applicable road-work specifications. If any potholes develop within this time, the contractors must be held responsible and they need to execute the repairs,” Ramesh said.
Former BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee Chairman Manjunath Raju said the problem goes beyond the pothole-filling methods, pointing to a lack of accountability at every stage of road construction and maintenance. “A third-party audit must be done after roads are laid to check the quality of the work. Only after the audit declares that the works executed meet the standards, payments must be released. However, the audits are done for namesake,” Raju argued.
He said greater accountability in road laying and pothole filling is essential if Bengaluru has to get durable and motorable roads. “First, roads have to be laid as per IRC standards. If the roads are constructed properly, the chances of potholes developing can be substantially reduced. In case potholes do develop, they must be tracked and recorded along with location coordinates and filled scientifically,” Raju said. Accountability is important as, over the years, GBA has focused on claiming that a certain number of potholes have been identified and filled rather than preventing their recurrence.