What technology are you using to repair potholes on Bengaluru roads? Karnataka High Court asks BBMP

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to submit its plan to fill potholes on city roads, as well as the details of technology that will be used for the same [Vijayan Menon v. Secretary and Anr]..A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum noted that Bengaluru roads continue to be in a dilapidated condition despite multiple repairs being conducted. "What type of technology are you using to conduct the repair work? Our concern is the waste of public money. You do not know the difficulty the public is facing," the Court said. .The Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed in the year 2015 highlighting the bad condition of roads in Bengaluru. In the previous hearing, the Chief Engineer of BBMP had been directed to be present before the Court. .The Court also conveyed its distress that 9 people, including a young mother, recently died due to the poor state of roads in the city. "We cannot allow the public to die like this," the Court said, warning that strict action would be taken against the Chief Engineer and other officers responsible. The Bench also said that it would ask the government to suspend the concerned officers or initiate criminal proceedings against them for criminal negligence..Senior Advocate SR Anuradha, who represented the petitioners, submitted that the BBMP is using cold tar mix for conducting repairs, instead of hot tar. The use of automatic pothole filling machines should be made mandatory, as per a 2018 report by the Legal Services Authority, she said. .The Bench expressed its frustration that the BBMP was previously using the technology of automatic pothole filling machines, but had stopped because the contract had expired. It asked the BBMP to submit an explanation before the Court as to the alternate arrangements for the technology of automatic pothole filling machines, and why they did not make arrangements earlier. The officials were also asked to explain why the contract with the private agency was not renewed. The BBMP must report its plan to adopt cutting machines, automatic pothole filling machines and hot mix tar to fill potholes, and how it plans to repair roads by adopting this technology, the Court said..Advocate Shreenidhi appeared for the BBMP. The case is to be heard next on February 15. .Why do potholes develop in Bengaluru after rains? Karnataka High Court orders BBMP Chief Engineer to be present for next hearing