2 weeks ago
High Court seeks GBA affidavit on Bengaluru pothole repairs
A court in Bengaluru is worried about big holes in the roads called potholes.
These holes can be dangerous for people driving or walking.
A man named Vijayan Menon asked the court to help make the roads better a long time ago, in 2015.
Now two judges, Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha, are looking at the problem again.
They told the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which takes care of the city, to explain in writing how they find and fix potholes.
The authority said it has already filled 10,202 potholes since April.
But the judges want more details about how roads are maintained every year and how many potholes have been repaired.
They also want to know about police reports tied to accidents caused by potholes.
The court has been working on this issue for several years, and earlier hearings raised questions about whether the city's road maintenance plans are actually working.
For now, the authority must give the court a full report on all its pothole work.
The High Court directed the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to file a detailed affidavit on measures to identify and repair potholes across Bengaluru.
The direction came during the hearing of a 2015 public interest litigation seeking better roads and removal of encroachments on stormwater drains.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha heard the petition filed by Vijayan Menon.
Information placed before the court showed 10,202 potholes have been filled since April this year.
The court also directed state government counsel to obtain details of FIRs related to deaths and injuries allegedly caused by potholes.
- Who
- The High Court division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), and petitioner Vijayan Menon
- What
- The High Court directed the GBA to file a detailed affidavit on pothole identification and repair measures and sought FIR details on pothole-related deaths and injuries
- Where
- Bengaluru, heard at the High Court
- When
- During the recent hearing, following a June 2025 direction; the PIL itself dates to 2015
- Why
- To address the city's pothole problem and ensure roads are maintained in a condition suitable for pedestrians and motorists under a 2015 public interest litigation
Petitioner's View
GBA's View
Effectiveness of road maintenance practices
Petitioner's View
The petitioner argued that although the GBA referred to scientific methods in its records, such practices were not being effectively implemented on the ground and that Bengaluru requires a comprehensive road maintenance policy.
GBA's View
The GBA's counsel submitted that pothole repair was a continuous process, and the authority reported that 10,202 potholes had been filled since April this year.
Key facts
- Court
- High Court (division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha)
- Petitioner
- Vijayan Menon
- Respondent
- Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)
- Litigation origin
- 2015 public interest litigation
- Potholes filled since April
- 10,202
- Previous court direction
- June 2025 affidavit on road conditions for pedestrians and motorists
- Related issue
- Removal of encroachments on stormwater drains
Sources
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