Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is struggling to meet the October 31 deadline set by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to fill thousands of potholes across the city, as persistent rains and the ongoing Socio-Economic Survey have disrupted repair work.
Rains undo repair efforts
With the North East Monsoon active over the South Interior Karnataka districts, including Bengaluru, road conditions have worsened. Officials say freshly repaired stretches have developed new potholes due to continuous rainfall.
GBA Chief M Maheshwar Rao admitted that the weather has slowed down operations.
“Due to rains, potholes have resurfaced. Both the survey work and rains have been posing a big challenge to close potholes,” he said.
Officials noted that even temporary asphalt works are being washed away, forcing repeated patching in key traffic corridors such as Mysuru Road, Outer Ring Road, and Whitefield Main Road.
Engineers stretched between survey and repairs
The Socio-Economic Survey, being conducted simultaneously, has added to the administrative burden. GBA engineers, responsible for road maintenance, have been deputed to survey households across the city.
“We were supposed to prepare the list of pothole filling works. We have to upload the photo of work completion in a dedicated application, and due to our engagement with the socio-economic survey, these activities are affected,” said a senior engineer.
Many engineers reported working extended hours — leaving home as early as 8 am and returning late in the evening — to manage both survey work and civic maintenance duties.
10,000 potholes closed, white topping to expand
Earlier this month, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar announced that 10,000 potholes had been filled across five city corporations under GBA limits. He also said the government would undertake white topping of 500 kilometres of major city roads at an estimated cost of ₹4,000 crore.
The white topping project, which involves laying concrete layers over asphalt roads to improve durability, is part of a larger push to enhance Bengaluru’s infrastructure before the onset of heavier monsoon showers in November.
Challenges continue despite progress
Officials say that even though significant pothole work has been completed, the constant rainfall is undoing much of the progress. Areas like Koramangala, Indiranagar, Peenya, and Jayanagar have witnessed newly formed craters despite recent patching.
An official explained that filling potholes during rains is technically ineffective as the surface doesn’t hold asphalt well when wet. “We are focusing on critical junctions first, but we can only do quality work once the rains ease,” he added.
Conclusion
With only a few days left before the October-end deadline, Bengaluru’s civic machinery is racing against time. The twin challenges of inclement weather and survey-related manpower shortage have made the target increasingly difficult to achieve.
While the state government insists on visible results soon, engineers on the ground say sustained dry weather and better resource allocation will be key to ensuring smoother roads in the coming weeks.