Potholes: Varthur holds first protest anniversary

The damaged roads can be opened after the repair work, according to Palike engineers.

A bus lane in front of Jalahalliu metro station was seen as severely damaged, with large potholes; Image used for representative purposes File photo | Express

BENGALURU: Hundreds of residents of Varthur, an integral part of the city’s IT corridor, on Saturday ‘celebrated’ the first anniversary of their protest against Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) failure to repair roads and provide other amenities to their locality.

They cut a cake on the occasion. On the same day last year, they staged a protest seeking better roads and had appealed to the Palike to fill potholes in Varthur. But no steps have been taken to address their problems.

The residents took out a procession raising slogans against the ‘incompetence’ of the Palike to address their problems. They organised the cake-cutting ceremony to send a strong message to the BBMP chief commissioner, Mahadevapura zonal commissioner, joint commissioner, chief engineer and ward officials.

“Roads are full of potholes and craters not only in Varthur, but also in other parts of Mahadevapura zone after the recent rain. The Palike officials have not taken any steps to fill the potholes despite our pleas,” Jagadish Reddy from Varthur said.

A BBMP official from the project division said many roads in Mahadevapura zone have been marked for white topping and by March-end, the pothole problem will be addressed.

The Palike has started filling potholes on Avenue Road with ‘Ecofix mixture’ developed using industrial waste from steel industries (iron and steel slag). To fill potholes, it is necessary to drain water and clean them to apply tack coat. But potholes can be filled with ‘Ecofix mixture’ without cleaning them. There is no need for the tack coat. The damaged roads can be opened after the repair work, according to Palike engineers.