City potholed, engineers cold, Mayor bowled

Condition of a road at an Industrial suburb in 2nd stage Yeshwanthpur.

City potholed, engineers cold, Mayor bowled
New Indian Express

Despite Mayor P.R. Ramesh’s warning to Bangalore City Corporation engineers that they would be fined if potholes are not filled, many have been caught napping.

Craters that abound on city roads are not merely eyesores but pose danger to motorists and pedestrians, given the prevailing weather where frequent cloudbursts turn these craters into lakes. For e.g. continuous rains on Sunday night resulted in waterlogging on many roads. Traffic was affected at low lying junctions. BCC staff were called in to clear waterlogging near K.H.B. Colony in Basaveshwara Nagar. However, no rain related accidents were reported.

Add to this the misery of riding a two-wheeler on an unpaved road flooded by an overflowing manhole. A dreaded recipe for disaster. The Mayor erred by threatening BCC engineers. It is like water off a duck’s back. Or to quote a proverb closer to the hearts of Kannadigas — off a buffalo’s back.

This website’s newspaper lensmen brought back pictures of the state of Mount Joy Road and 50 feet road in Hanumanthnagar, ostensibly the best kept ward as the present MLA was the previous mayor, and a road in Cubbon Park. BCC sources said no engineer had been fined so far.

There were others who scoffed at the suggestion and dismissed the Mayor’s warning as publicity stunt. But our job as keepers of public conscience is to remind the Mayor and his ‘worthy’ officers that strong statements should be backed by affirmative action.

Potholes remain and multiply like rats. An infestation that has punctured the image of the city in the international arena with IT biggies threatening to leave.

While it takes little to fill a pothole, BCC’s lackadaisical attitude has cost the city much. The condition of roads is a burning issue and BCC’s indifference infuriating. Are the roads beyond repair? Or are BCC engineers deaf? These are more than rhetorical questions that beg immediate answers. Whither art thou Mr Commissioner?