Bengaluru: No potholes by Monday? Impossible, say experts

BENGALURU: After making the BBMP work day and night to get rid of flex banners in the city, High Court now wants the Palike to make city pothole-free by Monday. While the BBMP has claimed that it was left with only 2,172 potholes, experts claim the numbers could be much higher and it next to 'impossible' to fix all of them by Monday. Earlier Deputy Chief Minister Dr Parameshwar had undertaken city rounds and given BBMP 10 days to fill the potholes. However, they failed to accomplish it and now High Court is after them.

A traffic expert and former advisor to the state government on infrastructure M.N. Srihari told Deccan Chroncle, "The total length of roads in the city is nearly 15,000 km. Of this major roads constitute 8,000 km. If counted properly the total number of potholes will not be less than a lakh." He wondered, "How did the BBMP arrive at the number? What mechanism it followed in counting potholes? Officials give random figures." Any hole on the road that is 5mm deep or exceeds it is considered a pothole. There are thousands on the city roads, Srihari said.

When civic evangelist Ravichandar was asked whether the BBMP can fill all potholes by Monday, he quipped: "Impossible, unless BBMP changes pothole definition to those applicable for moon craters." Srihari called for scientific filling of potholes. "First the existing hole should be neatly formed into a rectangle or square and dug little deep and a tack coat has to be laid, which will act as an adhesive bond. Along with other aggregates, 5.5% of bitumen has to be used. Bitumen along with the aggregates has to be heated for 140 degrees and then laid with temperatures not less than 100 degrees. Finally, it has to be sealed so that rainwater does not enter." BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad was not available for comments.