Bengaluru’s pothole woes deepen despite Rs 12 crore spend, 63% rise in affected areas
Bengaluru: Despite spending over Rs 12 crore on road repairs in 2024-25, Bengaluru’s pothole problem has worsened, with a 63% rise in the area affected by potholes compared to last year, raising serious concerns over the quality and sustainability of civic works.
According to BBMP data presented by the government in the Karnataka Legislative Council, cited by Deccan Herald on Tuesday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) filled up 1.78 lakh square metres of potholes in 2024–25, compared to 1.07 lakh square metres in 2023–24. This represents a 63% increase, despite a significant jump in expenditure from Rs 7 crore last year to Rs 12.25 crore this year.
However, many commuters argue that the increased spending has not translated into lasting results.
“We did see BBMP taking up pothole filling works. However, just a few weeks later, we noticed that the same roads have again developed potholes. If the road is back in the same shape within a few days, this is a waste of effort and taxpayer's money,” DH quoted Murthy B, a resident of Mahadevapura zone, as saying.
Other citizens pointed to roads like Hosa Road and Bannerghatta Road, where potholes reappeared just months after BBMP carried out patchwork repairs.
A senior BBMP engineer, speaking to DH on condition of anonymity, mentioned that BBMP was only filling potholes and not addressing the root cause. “The potholes don't appear on any road. They develop only when water stagnates on roads. This is because of poorly maintained shoulder drains due to which water enters and stagnates on roads,” the engineer said.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao acknowledged the limitations of pothole repair work during the monsoon season. “We can only take up temporary fixes owing to rain. Hence, they might reappear. However, long-term measures will be taken after the monsoon,” Rao assured.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
