BENGALURU: Agitated by the increasing number of complaints from citizens of the city on the shoddy job of filling potholes done by contractors, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has
made public a set of guidelines of how potholes should be filled.
Ironically the guidelines and steps spelt out, which were also submitted to the Karnataka High Court, do not match with what is being done on ground. It seems like the engineers and contractors have decided to look the other way and just do the assigned task in hand, by filling the potholes with whatever material is available, said sources.
According to the guidelines, there are nine steps to be followed for filling a pothole. The guidelines were also submitted to the chief secretary in December 2018 at the coordination committee meeting.
The steps clearly state: remove all loose material in the pothole area, use mechanical cutters to cut out the sides of the pothole area either rectangular or square, cut down to a stable layer below, apply prime coat, use sprayers, compact it well using roller drums and clean the patch properly. The guidelines also state the quantity of bitumin and wet mix to be used. It does not mention of filling the pothole with construction debris.
It also directs the engineers to rectify the uneven manholes and ensure that they are well covered and match the road level.
Randeep D, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Special Commissioner, solid waste management and zonal commissioner Mahadevapura zone, said the nine-step protocol has been designed by the engineering wing of the BBMP and is a guideline to be followed by all site engineers and contractors.
“Needless to say, action will be taken if these guidelines are not followed,” he said.