Day after deluge, potholes turn craters, citizens tumble along

BENGALURU: Citizens, who kept a nervous eye trained on the overcast sky on Friday, were relieved at the reprieve provided by light showers, but discovered an equally dangerous reality under their feet. Many of the city’s potholes -- 15,935 at last count -- turned into craters due to Thursday’s deluge. Several roads turned into rivers as people precariously drove their cars and bikes away from waterlogged holes.
As showers continued to batter many parts of the city at regular intervals on Friday, it was a nightmare for residents in low-lying areas, and motorists who tried their best to wade through pothole-ridden roads.
Suresh KV, 37, a working professional, said the quality of roads and their repairs was sub-par, and even the slightest spell of rain destroyed them.
“There was a very bad 100-metre stretch on BTM Outer Ring Road towards Silk Board, which was paved at the end of September due to its pathetic condition. After Thursday’s rain, it has completely come apart and the potholes are deeper than they were before. They had put in two to three inches of asphalt to tar the road and that was washed away, leaving craters everywhere,” said the resident of BTM Layout second stage, who boards a bus from the spot every day.
Large potholes dominating almost the entire road were spotted at JP Nagar, Austin Town, Ejipura, Koramangala, Wilson Garden, Siddaiah Road, Electronics City and Silk Board, among other spots. The relentless rain that trickled and poured across the city ended up making the roads horrifying to navigate.
Yash Agarwal, 22, a resident of Electronics City, said that while Neeladri Road was a perennial problem for commuters, it became a trap that felled unsuspecting motorists after rain. “Last week, we heard that some bikers had slipped and fallen because of the potholes. This road is always bad and filled with potholes, and became exceptionally dangerous during rain. It is an important road that connects Wipro Gate Junction to all of Electronics City, and is used by many IT company employees every day. It connects residential areas with a lot of apartments,” he said.