Motorists upset with shoddy workmanship in filling potholes on city streets

Mysuru: In the run-up to the Naada Habba celebrations, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) was very eager to fix the many roads of the city left riddled with potholes by the rain that came down in incessant torrents this monsoon. Keen to fill all potholes before the tourists started to troop in for the festivities, it appears as though the civic agency has given quality and efficiency the short shrift.
Frustrated with what they think is a patchwork operation, motorists point to the loosening of gravel from the recently filled potholes as evidence of shoddy workmanship. Regular road users opined that the MCC, in its haste to fix the roads ahead of the start of Dasara festivities, has opted for a quick fix instead of ending the persistent problem once and for all. Worse still, most of the roads that the motorists are fuming about are concentrated in the city’s Central Business District (CBD), which is where a bulk of the Dasara events will be held. Road users said that the condition of some of the thoroughfares was such that, besides the battering that their spines took while travelling along them, stray granules of asphalt and gravel scattered along the roads makes it a hazardous exercise.
Officials in the MCC, however, pointed out that the inclement weather in the city had thrown the spanner in their plans, foiling their efforts to cover the potholes in a more efficient manner. Mysuru district in-charge minister V Somanna’s instructions to ensure that all roads in the CBD were fixed ahead of Dasara increased the sense of urgency among MCC officials. However, they have promised the residents that the roads will be repaired again, and more effectively, once the curtains descend on the Naada Habba celebrations.
Residents pointed to two recent incidents wherein as many youngsters suffered injuries near HT Harikrishna Circle to substantiate their claims of shoddy work. While a medical student lost her balance while riding her two-wheeler on Sunday – her leg was stuck underneath her scooter, and she was pulled out by other commuters – an engineering student, Supreeth Godson too had a close shave at the junction, coming very close to tripping from his bike.
The junction is less than a stone’s throw away from the offices of the inspector general of police, the district superintendent of police and the district health officer, and the poor condition of the roads leading to the circle have left motorists understandably peeved. Incidentally, many of the roads were repaired on Saturday, and their ensuing deterioration in just one day has justly raised questions about the quality of workmanship.
Meanwhile, potholes on Theobald Road in Nazarbad, Sathyamarga Road in Siddarthanagar have not been filled. A trench that was dug up on Government Guest House Road – at the entrance to Kupppanna Park – to lay power cables has been filled up in a rather shabby manner, said the residents. A hump has come into being where the trench had been dug up, they said.
MCC commissioner Gurudutta Hegde, however, said that it was unfair to term the quality of the infrastructure projects ‘substandard’ or shoddy. “Incessant rain is not conducive to projects such as filling potholes. If there are specific problems with these roads, we will certainly scrutinise the work undertaken, and if necessary, withhold payment to the respective contractors. Dasara is just round the corner, and potholes are being filled in a phased manner. Work on all the roads is still under way,” Hegde told TOI.