GBA's rush to fill potholes sparks quality concerns across Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Even as the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) rushes to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's October 31 pothole-filling deadline, citizens have questioned the quality of work.

While they raise fears of accidents over the uneven asphalt patches on MG Road near Anil Kumble Circle, similar issues plague HSR Layout, Hulimavu, Mahalakshmipuram, Ramamurthynagar, and Outer Ring Road (ORR).

Social media users express scepticism. "These patch works will not help in any way," one comment read. Another stated: "Next time I will pay taxes like this only, in patches."

Patchwork proves historically ineffective on ORR, said Manas Das, president of the Outer Ring Road Companies' Association. "When the BBMP tried fixing ORR potholes with patchwork, it peeled off within two to three weeks. Even recently, fixed potholes are difficult to differentiate from unfixed ones," he said.

GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said engineers select filling methods based on road conditions. "There is no one solution for all roads and potholes. Taking into consideration several factors, they are fixing potholes with either the hot mix or the cold mix. They are also using bituminous concrete and EcoFix," he told DH.

Bengaluru's five municipal corporations are spending Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per pothole. Rao organised a pothole repair workshop for engineers and commissioners in August.

Beyond potholes, urban expert RK Mishra has urged authorities to distinguish between potholes and bad roads. "Bengaluru's roads have not been properly asphalted in years, and this has led to several bad stretches. These cannot be treated the same as potholes. While the government has set aside a budget for fixing these bad roads, pothole fixing should be a weekly exercise, not an annual one where the chief minister and his deputy are forced to count potholes in the city," he said.

He also urged citizens and media to track major road projects instead. "Rs 694 crore has been allocated to fix major roads, about Rs 1,000 crore for white-topping, and Rs 300 crore for the high-density corridor — these are three major projects under way, and the public must demand transparency on them. The public must have access to the Contract Management System to track these projects," he added.

Professor Ashish Verma of IISc has stressed the importance of stormwater drains. "All roads must have camber, cross slopes that ensure water drains to the side. And to get rid of this water, stormwater drains are important. If this is not ensured, despite applying the best pothole-filling practices, they will resurface. Our engineers are aware of this. But it is not always applied," he said.