Rain takes its toll on City roads

Rain takes its toll on City roads
Bangalore, Aug 26, DHNS:

Incessant rains on Thursday spoilt the evening plans of most Bangaloreans.

But what was more worrisome for them was how the showers peeled away the tar from the newly-asphalted roads in many areas. Motorists, who braved the rains, found huge potholes emerging on the roads. It only got worse in the night on poorly-lit streets.

With the roads virtually breaking apart under the onslaught of the rains, it was getting increasingly clear that the asphalting was only an annual ritual. Motorists were forced to negotiate even big ditches. Two-wheeler riders found it too risky to venture close to these ditches.

Picture this: Hardly a year back, the road near Hosmat Hospital was tarred. But even the below normal rainfall in August has left a trail of ditches, some big enough even to overturn vehicles. After Thursday’s downpour water got stagnated there.

Several commuters, caught in a choc-o-block rush hour traffic, in the evening were left with no other option but to wade through the pools of water that had filled the pot-holes. Trinity Circle, in the very heart of the city was water-logged due to the rough patch of road, a clear symbol of tar being washed away.

The Old Madras Road and other roads leading to Indiranagar from Ulsoor were also in bad shape, although the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had carried out some repair work on those stretches.

For almost two months, the situation is similar and no initiatives have been taken to repair the area. Residents from across the City called this office, complaining the poor shape of roads after the rains.

Mercury dips further

Thursday evening showers saw the city’s temperature dip further by another two degrees. The City recorded 17.4 mm rainfall. The maximum temperature recorded was 25.1 degrees and the minimum was 19.8 degrees celsius.

Meteorological department officials said that due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal and depression in the East Central Arabian Sea, the western coastal areas from Maharasthra to Kerala will experience heavy rains and Bangalore will face only cloudy weather.

"Although the south-west monsoon has been very active in the coastal areas, Bangalore will continue to receive only drizzles accompanied with cold cloudy weather," he added. In the month of August alone, Bangalore has so far received 103.8 mm of rainfall.