BENGALURU: It has been over two months since Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda took charge and promised to improve the quality of life of Bengalureans by addressing their everyday problems. But there seems to be no end to the pothole menace that continues to haunt Bengalureans.
In several areas, the condition of roads has either remained unchanged or worsened, with people suffering fractures and being hospitalised after falling into potholes or trying to avoid them.
For instance, the service road running parallel to the Outer Ring Road near Babusapalya is a bumpy stretch with multiple potholes, uneven patches and damaged portions making commuting difficult. The road carries significant traffic as motorists often use it as an alternative when the ORR is congested. Residents of Prakruthi Township, Mallappa Layout, Banjara Layout, Balaji Layout, Bank Avenue and several surrounding neighbourhoods depend on it for their daily commute.
It is also a key access route for motorists heading towards Horamavu. Water-filled potholes and crumbling patches here pose a risk to two-wheeler riders, who are forced to slow down or manoeuvre sharply, said Srikanth D, Secretary, Mallappa Layout Association.
“The minister said he will improve the quality of life. But while I was navigating a pothole, the bike skidded and I nearly lost my life. I ended up with a fracture in my left hand,” said a scooter rider, who met with an accident on Mysuru Road.
Similarly, a damaged patch at the junction connecting Cantonment Railway Station with Queen’s Road and Coles Park has become a nuisance for commuters. The stretch serves as a crucial link from the railway station to areas like MG Road, Shivajinagar and Vidhana Soudha, and witnesses heavy movement of BMTC buses, cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers.
As the pothole is located at a point where traffic diverges, motorists are forced to navigate around the broken asphalt to avoid injury to themselves, and damage to their vehicles. During rain, water fills the depression, concealing its depth and making it difficult for motorists to spot it, increasing the risk of skidding and collisions.
The stretch in front of Hosmat Hospital off Richmond Road is a death trap with numerous potholes dotting either side of the one-way. During rain, the situation worsens and neither the pedestrian nor vehicular traffic can move freely as there could be a pothole beneath every pool of stagnant water. The road had been fixed recently, but KPTCL personnel dug it up for maintenance work just weeks after it was repaired.
Currently, they have dug up Lower Agaram Road, which is a crucial conduit for traffic. One side of the road has been closed completely, while traffic police allow traffic on the other. But the part where traffic is moving has spots that are completely dug up. If one loses focus even for a moment, they would land in a ditch.
Roads in other parts of the city are no better. Medahalli Main Road in KR Puram in the IT belt, which connects parts of Mahadevapura, has remained untarred for the last 10 years and the patches were fixed only after a protest.