Potholes: experts help sought

Bengaluru: After going wrong with pothole-filling work for decades, the BBMP seems to have learnt a lesson or two. The civic agency will now take expert opinions on the quality of asphalt used for city’s roads, the methods and procedures adopted by the agency and the reasons that are leading to frequent appearance of potholes.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, BBMP Commissioner G. Kumar Naik said the BBMP will take help of well known organisations like RASTA (Resource centre for Asphalt and Soil Training Academy) to ascertain the reasons for frequent formation of potholes.

“We are noticing that asphalt is wearing-off easily and we want to find out the reasons for this. The bitumen used for asphalting could be of poor quality or the method we follow to asphalt the road could be wrong. Even external factors like temperature, flow of water on road and water stagnation could contribute to formation of potholes. We will send some samples for testing and recapitulate the reasons for potholes. Mainly, the procedures will be scrutinized,” he said.

Naik said that most of the roads which were not asphalted in the last years were under distress due to the continuous downpour in the city. He added that a survey would be conducted soon after the rains stop and the engineers will be given two days time to assess the damages due to rains. “The ward level officials will be given three weeks time to fill potholes in all the arterial roads and sub-arterial roads,” he said.

To address pothole-related complaints the BBMP has proposed to set up four tar plants in the city. A tender will be floated before Monday, said Mr Naik. “A plant in Anekal, Mallasandra, Anekal and Rajarajeshwari Nagar will be set up so that we do not have to wait to call for tenders,” he said.