Days after sinkhole appears on Bengaluru road, DKS bats for more white-topping

Days after a newly white-topped part of the Kensington Road caved in, forming a giant sinkhole,  Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar batted for white-topping of roads and termed it a solution to rid roads of potholes

Days after a newly white-topped part of the Kensington Road caved in, forming a giant sinkhole,  Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar batted for white-topping of roads and termed it a solution to rid roads of potholes on Thursday.

He said white-topping of roads will solve this [potholes on roads] problem for 25 to 40 years. 

The sinkhole on Kensington Road near the Ulsoor lake has drawn the ire of many, including the Aam Aadmi Party who held a protest on Wednesday and demanded a probe into the incident, as white-topping of roads, more costlier than asphalting, was pitched as a panacea for poor quality roads.

While the civic body has blamed water leakage for the sinkhole, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has denied the same. 

Responding to a query raised by H.S. Gopinath, MLC, during Question Hour, Mr. Shivakumar said that there had been demands to white-top even interior roads and he would soon call for a meeting of legislators from Bengaluru to discuss about white-topping of roads in the city.

“There are 1.14 crore vehicles in Bengaluru. Over 1,300 two-wheelers and 490 cars are registered daily. Heavy traffic movement is resulting in potholed roads, and white-topping will solve this problem as it lasts 25 to 40 years,” he said. 

“There is an allocation of ₹1,000 crore for white-topping this year. However, there is a demand for white-topping smaller roads as well. I will soon call for a meeting of the legislators to understand the need for white-topping in different areas of Bengaluru,” he said.