Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s 15-day deadline to fill up Bengaluru’s killer potholes came to an end on Monday, the potholes on Mysuru Road near Nayandahalli, including the one which killed a woman, have opened up after the patchwork was done a few days ago.
“After the woman died on this road because of the pothole, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister KJ George had come to inspect the spot. The pothole due to which the woman died, was filled up. Now the pothole has opened up and is back to how it was before,” says Shivaskankar, a 35-year-old auto driver.
Since Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is carrying out construction along the road near Nayandahalli, the BBMP has conveniently pushed the responsibility of filling up the potholes on to BMRCL.
According to BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, the Palike had handed over the maintenance of the road to BMRCL in 2016.
“Yes, I agree that the potholes on the road were not filled when it was handed over but now it is under the BMRCL’s jurisdiction. It is their responsibility to fill up the potholes. Why should the BBMP fill it?” Commissioner Prasad said.
BS Prahallad, Chief Engineer of BBMP Road Widening Department said that the Palike had asked BMRCL multiple times to cover up the potholes.
“BBMP has written many times to BMRCL but they have not covered the potholes. We have not got any response from the agency till now,” he added.
BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad said that 90% of the potholes have already been covered up.
“We had identified 19,725 potholes on interior roads. Of these, 17,787 have been filled up. On major roads in the city, 5,823 potholes were initially identified and 5,136 potholes have been covered up,” he added.
Vijay Kumar Maurya, BMRCL Chief Engineer, said that the agency will cover up the potholes in a couple of days.
“This morning (Monday morning) the work started and the potholes will be filled within a couple of days. BMRCL can take up the road repair work only after the Metro construction is completed. BMRCL will hand over the road to BBMP by the end of November,” Vijay Maurya added.
Residents allege that the patch work on the road are of no use. “Now, this road has become so popular, everyone identifies it as the killer road where a woman died because of the bad condition it is in. I don’t know which agency but soon after the accident some people came to cover up the potholes. In a week, most of them opened up. What is the use?” said Radhakrishna Baliga, owner of a bakery located on Mysuru Road.
On October 8, 47-year-old Radha was killed on the spot after she fell off a two-wheeler while trying to negotiate a pothole-ridden road near Nayandahalli. The woman was run over by a truck.
On October 2, a deadly pothole on the busy Mysuru Road claimed the lives of a couple and left their granddaughter wounded.