The Pothole Plague

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Potholes aren’t just a nuisance; they’re turning Indian roads into death traps. From Madhubani’s pond-sized craters to Bengaluru’s “historical landmark” pothole, the issue seems far from resolved despite hefty maintenance budgets. While rain often takes the blame, poor road construction adds another layer to the story. Can innovative solutions proposed by the authorities finally pave the way to safer roads?

Pomd-sized Potholes in NH 227 in Madhubani, Bihar | Source: NDTV

In June this year, National Highway 227 that goes through Bihar’s Madhubani made headlines due to its pond-sized potholes. According to the reports, the road has been in a completely dilapidated condition since 2015. Not just National Highways; almost every Indian road is suffering from this problem. The potholes not just result in water clogging during rain but also cause traffic chaos that leads to increased travel time for the commuters. However, authorities often fail to address or do very little to solve this issue.

Often, rain is cited as the main reason for the formation of potholes; however, the inefficiency in road construction is the major cause behind it.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s district-wise inspection in Kerala state revealed that many roads have been made without using enough tar.

Recently, a miffed Bengaluru citizen geo-tagged a pothole as a historical landmark to draw the attention of the authorities. The situation seems to highlight the inefficiency of the authorities to fix the problem over the years, even after spending crores of money on road maintenance.

The problem of potholes is now rapidly turning the Indian roads into death traps.

According to the latest government data, road accidents caused by potholes led to the death of 5,626 people between 2018 and 2020.

Potholes on Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway | Source: mid-day

As per the investigation, the potholes on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai national highway were one of the major causes of Cyrus Mistry’s death.

To ensure pothole-free and better-maintained roads, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari suggests states take up the White Topping Technique, which is said to considerably reduce the maintenance costs incurred on roads. However, the successful implementation of this highly depends on the local authorities. To know more, read.

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