Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike: We fill potholes, but they reappear

By: Pavan Kumar Pateel
BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's Fix My Street mobile app is set to be opened to the public again from January 1, 2023. It allows citizens to raise complaints about bad road conditions and potholes.
Launched five years ago, Fix My Street was shut for public use in 2019 following a technical glitch. Since then, it has been used only by BBMP officials, who upload on it details of the potholes identified, their photographs and geo-location details. The exercise of fixing these potholes is also uploaded on the app. It was launched to enable citizens to directly connect with ward engineers and elected representatives to resolve problems.
Admitting that potholes have become a perennial problem in the city, BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath on Tuesday set December 31 deadline to find and fix potholes.
He said that recent rains have resulted in more potholes appearing in the city and fixing them is a continuous process. "Even if we declare Bengaluru pothole-free today, the chances are, that potholes may surface tomorrow. But we are working to fix the problem," Giri Nath said.
He added that he has instructed officials to identify and fix potholes on major roads by December 31. "Filling potholes is a regular exercise after every rain. Through the Fix My Street app, our officials will identify potholes and will certainly fill them soon."
Civic agencies digging up roads for various purposes and not filling them up properly remains the bane of Bengaluru. "April onwards, civic agencies should restore the entire stretch they cut. Ward-level engineers will be held responsible for any negligence on this front," Giri Nath added.
He also said the civic body has sought help from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct a feasibility study and submit findings on its rapid road technology, which it plans to replace whitetopping with. A rapid road project is 20-25% costlier than whitetopping. While laying a 1km road with the new rapid technology costs Rs 9.3 crore, whitetopping would require Rs 7.5 crore, the BBMP chief said, adding that the government would take a call after getting a detailed report from IISc.