Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has questioned the city’s long-standing approach to road maintenance, arguing that authorities should focus on preventing potholes rather than repeatedly repairing them.
Speaking about the recurring issue, Gowda said the persistent appearance of potholes points to deeper concerns regarding the quality of road construction and project execution.
‘Why do potholes arise at all?’
The minister said public discussions often revolve around filling potholes, but the more important question is why roads continue to develop potholes in the first place.
“People ask why potholes are not being filled. The real question is why potholes arise at all,” he said, noting that road construction is a routine engineering activity carried out across the world without the same recurring problems.
According to Gowda, poor-quality work results in an endless cycle of repairs that consumes public resources without addressing the root cause.
He described the process as a system where authorities are forced to repeatedly fix the same problems instead of ensuring durable infrastructure from the beginning.
Focus on quality and accountability
The minister said potholes are often a symptom of broader shortcomings in governance and project implementation.
He pointed out that mechanisms to ensure quality already exist within government departments, including quality-control wings, chief engineers responsible for monitoring standards and third-party audits.
Gowda stressed that the responsibility of policymakers and administrators is to ensure these systems function effectively and deliver the intended outcomes.
Bengaluru still playing catch-up
The minister also spoke about the challenges of managing Bengaluru’s rapid growth, describing the city as a “monumental challenge”.
He noted that multiple agencies are responsible for various aspects of the city’s infrastructure, making coordination difficult. Despite efforts over the years, Bengaluru has continued to struggle to keep pace with its expanding population and infrastructure needs.
According to Gowda, the city has been attempting to catch up with growth for decades but has often remained behind the curve when it comes to addressing civic challenges.
He added that while concerns regarding the Bengaluru Development portfolio had been conveyed to the state leadership, he remains committed to working within the responsibilities entrusted to him