BENGALURU: With in a fortnight of the November 6 deadline, potholes that were filled by engineers and contractors have resurfaced at several places, hinting at the poor quality works. Residents and road users say the road condition in the city is still far from satisfactory. “Several potholes formed during monsoon were filled, but due to unscientific methods used, they have resurfaced,” they add. The BTS Road at Shantinagar is one such stretch.
In October, The New Indian Express had published a report on the bad condition of the road, following which it was repaired. But the situation is now back to square one. “Poor road condition slows down traffic on this busy stretch. A crater-sized pothole appeared after BWSSB dug up the road for laying pipelines. But none bothered to fill it,” said Raghuram V, who works with a private company.
“Last week while riding my bike, I got hurt by a stone that was tossed up in the air after coming in contact with another vehicle’s wheel. Since this road saves me a lot of distance, I cannot avoid it,” he added. Shop owners on either side of the road are having a tough time too. “There is dust everywhere and business has taken a hit,’’ he said. “If it rains, we are going to face huge inconvenience. Last time when it rained, there was knee-deep waterlogging on the road,” said Basha, a fruit vendor.
“It is impossible to count potholes here,” said Bhoopayya, a resident of Vinayak Nagar. This is not just the story of Shantinagar. Potholes have re-surfaced in many parts of the city, including Lalbagh Road, Narayanapura, Wilson Garden, Hennur Road, Kempapura near Columbia Asia, Kasturba Road and other stretches. The Hennur Road which was tarred recently after laying gas pipelines are being dug up again for laying water pipelines.
Speaking to Express, BBMP Engineer in chief M R Venkatesh said there is no question of resurfacing of potholes as they have used scientific methods to fill potholes. “We have used hotmix, so potholes cannot open up,’’ he said. He added that they have taken up relaying of roads at a cost of `4,000 crore. In next three months, City will have more good roads,’’ he added. Works on relaying of roads have started in Yelahanka, West, Mahadevapura and South zones.