Bengaluru pothole work kicks off, Redditor says but adds skeptically: ‘This will not survive even...’
Bengaluru begins pothole repairs on Bannerghatta Road, but netizens fear they won’t last due to heavy traffic and poor drainage. BJP recently protested poor road conditions, calling it the ‘City of Potholes.’
The appeal to fix the pothole-ridden roads in Bengaluru seems to have started coming together, as a picture shared by a Reddit user shows a road roller along with engineers working on pothole filling on Bannerghatta Road. The demand to address traffic and improve Karnataka’s capital city’s infrastructure -- especially potholes - has been a longstanding concern for residents, and recently gained political backing from the BJP, which staged a protest in the Yelahanka area on Wednesday.
The picture shared on Reddit under r/Bengaluru shows road repair work underway on Bannerghatta Road. A yellow road roller compactor is being used to flatten patches; however, frustrated netizens seem unsatisfied, pointing out that “because of constant heavy traffic and large vehicles, the sand and soil beneath the road tend to sink. As a result, even after repairs, potholes are likely to reappear in the same spots unless the base and drainage are properly fixed.”
Here's how social media user reacted:
A user wrote: “Our great engineers don’t have basic sense. They can’t manage road slope to avoid waterlogging. Just a PR stunt.”
Another wrote: “I hope you are using the term ‘great’ sarcastically. These are engineers who are highly incompetent, corrupt, and immoral. Don’t expect anything good from these creatures.”
A third user wrote: “This will not survive even one heavy rainy day. They just want to clear the noise about potholes. Again, after a few months, a new tender will come in and this will continue forever. MFs are filling their pockets.”
‘City of Potholes’
BJP workers staged a protest in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, on Wednesday against the Congress-led Karnataka government over the city’s pothole problem. The demonstration, led by BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath, came after growing criticism from industrialists and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who recently called Bengaluru “the city of potholes.”
Defending the government, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, “Listening with Purpose. Acting with Impact. Every day, nearly 1,000 potholes are being filled across Bengaluru through coordinated efforts.” He stressed that potholes are a “national issue” and alleged Karnataka’s problems were being exaggerated, pointing to road conditions in Delhi. Shivakumar also appealed to businesses, assuring them that repairs are ongoing, and blamed the previous BJP government for neglecting road maintenance.
Kumaraswamy earlier said it was “tragic” that Bengaluru was gaining infamy for its roads, accusing the state leadership of incompetence and corruption. In turn, Shivakumar questioned Kumaraswamy’s contributions as Union minister.