Fatally flawed: Even after pothole death, no work done to improve Ullal Rd

By Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: If your daily commute involves passing through Ullal Main Road, you might have to think of an alternate route. The road has always been in bad condition, markedly worsened by weeks of heavy rain. On September 12, an elderly, specially-abled man was killed on this stretch after he hit a pothole, fell off his bike and was run over. Instead of being fixed instantly, the road has only become more dangerous. Civic authorities are involved in a heated blame game over who is responsible for the road and in the process, have done nothing to fix it. As a consequence, people suffer.

Ongoing civic work taken up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and other agencies played its part in the mess that Ullal Road is today. “The roads were dugup almost a year ago and some workers from BWSSB had been working on it for two months. Eight months have passed since then and we have not seen anyone coming back to repair the road,” said Purushottam, who owns a bakery on the road.

When News Trail contacted BBMP, they said that the area and its projects come under Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The officials themselves agreed that the conditions of the roads in the surrounding residential area are also no better.

Ullal main road connects important areas of the city including, Mysuru Road, Bengaluru University, Nagarabhavi, Kengeri and Magadi main road.

A resident of the area who does not want to be named said, “We, the public, have developed a habit of adjusting. What else can we do? The authorities are aware of our helplessness. Three days ago I saw a biker skidding and falling on this spot. But before I could come to his aid, he got up, dusted his clothes, started his bike and rode off. Nobody has time now,” he said.

Without corporators to hold them accountable, civic authorities’ recalcitrance knows no bounds. They consistently turn a deaf ear to the demands and pleas of Bengaluru residents. Some bad roads have been filled with debris. In other areas, the traffic police officials have resorted to temporary solutions on especially bad roads, to maintain a smooth flow of traffic. In September, CM Bommai said the government would conduct an inquiry into the road. However, the holes have been filled with debris.