Rain damage jolts BBMP, BWSSB into action

The BBMP Commissioner, Siddaiah on his night prowl through the City has called upon Chief Engineers from all the eight Palike zones to start identifying the potholes in their jurisdiction to begin the pothole filling drive immediately.

According to Palike officials, the pothole menace has been caused by incessant rain on Saturday. “We have been instructed to begin the pothole filling drive as soon as the rains stop,” informed the official.

Pothole filling exercise

According to a direction by Siddaiah, the pothole filling exercise will include the BBMP officials themselves to take their gangmen and fill them up. The bitumen, an important component of the pothole filling drive will be supplied to the Zones and is to be used for the longevity of the road.

Earlier this year, the BBMP had handed a contract to the Karnataka Land Army Corporation (KLAC) for filling the potholes in the City. But it appears that the important stretches will be handled by the BBMP.  “KLAC which has been given the contract to fill the potholes will only be involved for cosmetic changes where there is paucity of time,” informed the official.

Meanwhile, the BWSSB received many calls from people complaining of overflowing manholes from Vittal Mallya Road, Kamaraj Road, Kamakshipalya, Kamakya, Jayanagar, BTM Layout and Srinagar. T Venkataraju, BWSSB's chief engineer (Maintenance) said that they had received complaints. “Our workers are already attending to the complaints,” he said.

The storm water drain systems in these areas are not very strong and as a result, rainwater flows directly into sanitary pipelines, informed Venkataraju. “Since the sanitary pipelines and manholes cannot bear the quantity and force of rainwater, it tends to over flow,” he said.  He added that places where garbage of some plastic material has stuck in the pipelines, will take some time to repair.