Traffic cops fix 15 waterlogged spots, fill 140 potholes in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Playing good Samaritans and doing their bit to reduce the water woes of Bengalureans during the rainy season, traffic policemen identified 15 spots vulnerable to waterlogging and fixed them on Thursday.
A team of personnel from Rajajinagar traffic police station cleared a drain at Laggere Bridge, off Yeshwantpur. Deputy commissioner of police, traffic (west), SK Soumyalatha said they have identified several spots near service roads of Nelamangala expressway in Peenya, TVS cross and some parts of Yeshwantpur.
“During the heavy rain on Tuesday night, waterlogging at Laggere Bridge forced traffic moment to come to a standstill. A meeting was held on Wednesday to identify such spots and inspector MA Mahesh, attached to Rajajinagar traffic police station, cleared the drain,” she said.
According to traffic cops, the public blames them whenever traffic comes to a halt due to waterlogging. “Riders and drivers curse us. During an internal meeting held in March, assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) and inspectors from different traffic police stations brought the matter to notice of the police commissioner and additional commissioner of police (traffic). They said such spots hold up traffic and it takes days for the situation to return to normalcy,” cops said.
However, traffic police said their work may not last long. “We are not professionals who handle such work. Clearing the drain is a stopgap solution. Only BBMP engineers can find a permanent solution to the problem,” he said.
Other areas where waterlogged spots were fixed include RT Nagar, Hebbal flyover, Manyata Tech Park, Sahakaranagar, Byatarayanapura, KR Circle, KR Puram, Neelasandra, BMTC bus terminal at Shantinagar, Old Airport Road and Parappana Agrahara Main Road.
Additional commissioner of police (traffic) P Harisekharan tweeted saying that apart from waterlogged spots being fixed, even potholes were filled on Thursday. Traffic policemen across the city filled around 140 potholes by the evening.