September deadline to address pothole menace

Minster directs BBMP to repair bad reaches and fill potholes on 1,332 km of major roads by September 20

After multiple protests on the pathetic condition of roads across the city and citizens lodging complaints with agencies, Minister for Revenue R. Ashok on Monday instructed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to fill all potholes by the end of September.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with senior civic officials, the Minister announced fresh deadlines. He has directed BBMP to repair bad reaches and fill potholes on 1,332 km of major roads by September 20 and ward roads by September 30. “The heavy rains that have lashed the city over the past four months have contributed to the deterioration of roads. If the rains continue, more potholes will develop; filling them is a continuous activity,” he said.

Around 20 loads of asphalt from the BBMP’s hot mix plant will be supplied to eight zones every day. Jurisdictional engineers have been directed to oversee pothole filling work and ensure that they are only filled after they are properly cleaned.

“Each pothole will be geo-tagged and the details of potholes filled, along with photographs, will be uploaded on the civic body’s website, which will be accessible to the public. This is to ensure transparency,” he added.

Coordination between agencies

Pointing out that both the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) had dug up several roads for utility work, he also said that in many places, the agencies had failed to take permission from the civic body. He added that the civic body had been directed to identify such places, along with taking photographs of the dug up stretches. “A coordination meeting between all three civic agencies will be held in around 15 days, where we will decide on road restoration issues. The lack of coordination is inconveniencing the citizens,” added Mr. Ashok.

Source: Read Full Article