A large pit dug by the BWSSB on a bad stretch of Bannerghatta Road near Meenakshi Mall in Bengaluru has made matters worse for commuters.
| Photo Credit: K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Despite the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) promise of regularly filling potholes, many stretches of the city’s roads remain dangerous and unmotorable, riddled with what can well be called craters. Adding to the woes are the unfinished drain works on either side of some stretches and ongoing work in the middle of the road too on some stretches. These factors have together resulted in increased travel time for commuters, compelling them to spend long hours in the traffic.
The Hindu visited four stretches which are among the worst examples of abysmal road conditions, leading to multiple problems in the city.
Stretch 1
Commuters find the stretch between Christ University and Meenakshi Mall on Bannerghatta Road unbearable. The 100-metre stretch, which also has a traffic signal, is riddled with potholes. What has worsened the situation is that a large pit dug by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is now left unattended and barricaded.
Mohammad Zaid, who runs a coffee shop near Christ University, said that on sunny days clouds of dust rise from the road and settle on the tables and during the rain, the road turns slushy. Every day at least two minor accidents occur on this stretch, he said. Ramesh S., an autorickshaw driver, said when the road was good it would take just three minutes to pass the signal and now during the peak hours it takes up to seven minutes. Bikers and auto drivers bear the brunt the most, he said, adding that when it is dark there is the risk of bikers falling into the pit.
Stretch 2
The poor condition of the stretch of road at Dayanand college junction near Kadirenahalli underpass has led to several accidents.
| Photo Credit:
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Kamalesh S. (name changed), a multi-utility vehicle driver who frequently travels on the Outer Ring Road, has to wait for more than five minutes on the stretch where Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Road ends and Dr. Vishnuvardhan Road begins, close to Kadirenahalli underpass. The junction is popularly known as Dayanand college circle.
Mr. Kamalesh said the road had remained the same for the past year. The BBMP has not asphalted the stretch and people are suffering because of that. While accidents have become common, the stretch also consumes the time of commuters. As the road is slightly steep near the signal, vehicles slide back before they start to move. This happens because drivers focus on avoiding potholes.
Stretch 3
Half-finished repair work poses a danger to motorists on Dr. Vishnuvardhan Road at Uttarahalli in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Many stretches on the Uttarahalli road are no different. Although the BBMP has re-asphalted the road, the bitumen layer has chipped off at many places and the patches are uneven.
Laxman M., who runs a petty shop on a stretch of this road, said, “I have attended to several accident victims here. During the rain, potholes are not visible as they are filled with water. Bikers tend to lose balance while negotiating such potholes. The residents have filed many complaints but nothing has changed,” he said.
Stretch 4
Less than 100 metres away from Garudacharpalya Metro Station, a crucial junction connecting ITPL Main Road and Kundalahalli Main Road, with several large apartment complexes and tech parks nearby, has at least 10 to 20 potholes between one and four feet wide.
Residents of the area say the potholes appeared nearly four months ago, a few months after a nearby drain started to overflow onto the street. Now, the potholes filled with sewage cause severe traffic jams in the mornings and evenings.
Situated in a cluster at the point where vehicles make a turn, the potholes cause incoming traffic to slow down and create jams along the entire stretch. Kumar, the owner of a tea stall at the junction, said, “For two hours every morning and evening traffic jams here stretch around 300 metres. While turning, vehicles often bump against one another, triggering road-rage incidents and the traffic jam gets worse.”
A BBMP official from the road infrastructure department said the pothole-filling exercise is dynamic. “The BBMP is carrying out this work every day based on the inputs received from citizens and traffic police. There are some bad stretches and those will also be fixed,” said the official.
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