'People have right to pothole-free roads', Karnataka HC orders BBMP to repair all major roads within 10 days

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Bengaluru: Amidst the heated discussion on deteriorating road conditions during the rains in Bengaluru, the Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the city’s civic authorities to repair 221 potholes on major roads within 10 days. It observed that the citizens have a right to have roads without potholes and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is obliged to provide better roads. The High Court also ordered the BBMP to file a compliance report after the work is completed.

“As per records of BBMP 221 potholes are to be filled up on major roads. It is submitted that 221 aforesaid potholes on major roads shall be repaired within 10 days by using the hot mix. The aforesaid statement is placed on record, BBMP shall submit a compliance report about filling up of 221 potholes along with photographs before the next date of hearing,” the High Court said.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty further noted that the BBMP is obliged to maintain and repair its roads. The court was considering a 2015 plea by petitioner Vijayan Menon demanding action against damaged roads and encroachments on stormwater drains.

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“BBMP is a statutory body and is under an obligation to maintain and repair the roads. The citizens have a right to have roads without potholes which creates a corresponding obligation on the authorities to maintain the roads and to make them pothole-free,” the court observed.

On encroachment on the drains, the BBMP informed the court that there were 2626 encroachments out of which 2024 have been removed and 602 encroachments are remaining. They are being removed on a day-to-day basis, the civic authorities said. The court directed the civic body to complete the demolition at the earliest and asked them to submit a compliance report of the anti-encroachment drive once a fortnight before the court.

During another hearing of the same petition earlier, the High Court asked civic authorities to immediately set up ward-wise grievance cells to address flood and rain-related issues of the city residents. The complaint centres in each ward shall have an engineer who will attend to the grievances of the public, the court directed the civic authorities.