BBMP races against time to repair potholes and completes ongoing roadworks before the monsoon begins

Potholes were seen on the pipeline road in Sumanahalli, Bangalore on Monday, May 12, 2025. Image source: Sudhakara Jain

On Monday, May 12, 2025, potholes were seen on chickpeas in Bangalore. Image source: Sudhakara Jain

The recent spell of monsoon showers has once again dotted potholes on the streets of the city. The city’s civic group Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is now competing with time to fill potholes and ongoing road work as the monsoon approaches quickly and is expected to hit the state earlier in the first week of June this year.

BBMP Administrator Tushar Giri Nath and Chief Citizen Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao directed the Regional Commissioner to ensure that the drills were completed before the monsoon. “White leading works will also be completed, and those who missed the deadline to complete the top of the white man at the prescribed time will be fined. The BBMP has fined two contractors.” However, Karnataka Electric Power Transmission Company (KPTCL) has also carried out many ongoing road excavations throughout the city, which are unlikely to be completed before the monsoon begins.

BBMP has identified more than 812 potholes so far and filled more than 260 of them. Senior BBMP officials and Hindu Citizen groups identified what was said to be a new pothole, and citizens also complained about specialized apps.

Kiran Kumar, a changemaker for Kanakapura Road, said civic groups appear to focus only on the main roads, rather than filling potholes internal roads. “On Kanakapura Road, the BBMP fills many potholes, but the sub-movement road continues to suffer from larger potholes. This approach to the BBMP is not limited to our area, but throughout the city, civic groups focus only on the main roads. In this case, it’s even worse.”

A senior citizen official admitted that filling potholes on arterial roads is a priority due to the traffic volume in these corridors, claiming not only are filling potholes on secondary roads, but even Ward Road is filling potholes.

Ashwith U., who lives in the Mahadevapura area, said nearby roads are still in bad condition. “What’s worse is the lack of coordination among civic agencies. The BWSSB digs out the path to BBMP repairs, but no one is responsible for it. The top brass holding coordination meetings for BBMP, BESCOM and BWSSB. But it doesn’t seem to be translated on the ground.”

Indira S., a resident of Jayanagar, said the BBMP has filled potholes in some areas of its region and in the southern region. “But convinced officials after registering for a complaint is still a challenge. It takes at least a week to repeatedly call local officials to ask them to send a team to fill the potholes. Unless this changes commuters, commuters must continue to endure the problem.”