24 August 2024

Subject: Potholes killed 2,300 people annually across India; who is responsible?

Dear Friends:

According to the recent Indian Government figures, potholes, on average, claimed 2,300 lives
annually during the 2015-2020 time period. Whereas we have sent the Chandrayaan to the moon
and have made significant progress in many sectors, we all should be ashamed that most of the
country’s roads and streets are riddled with potholes right now, which are killing and seriously
injuring people left and right. The Kerala High Court has ruled that potholes are a man-made
disaster for which road authorities are responsible. They should pay suitable compensation to
people who are either seriously injured or killed by potholes.

Being a highway engineer, I was questioned by a retired IPS officer in Jaipur. The following Q
and A (updated) ensued:

Q. Who is responsible for these tragic deaths from potholes in India, which are increasing
and not being addressed?

A. The entire highway fraternity including academia (both active and retired) is to blame
primarily. However, it is a serious blot on all Indian citizens. Most of us are acting like
bystanders doing nothing. We tend to start agitations on many issues at the drop of hat, but do
not care about potholes killing people.

Q. Why potholes are not patched properly and promptly as and when they develop
throughout the year including cold winter and rainy season? What is the main problem?

A. Engineers who are responsible for this do not have on hand a suitable pothole patching mix
which has the following attributes:

 Most economical to produce and apply

 More or less permanent (over 5 years’ service life)
 Should be readymade cold mix with a storage life of at least 6 months, supplied in 50-kg
bags for ease in handling and transportation
 Should be idiot-proof in application: potholes need not be dry; no spraying of bitumen
needed; compaction with a handheld rammer by a labourer only; and opening to traffic
right away. In other words, no other material or machinery needed.
 Should not be patented; anybody should be able to make it using local materials
 Pothole patching should be possible during lull in rain showers (just sweep the excess
water out of potholes)
 Pothole patching should be possible during extreme cold winter conditions and hot
summer conditions

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Q. Is such an idiot-proof, economical, and highly effective pothole patching mix available in
India, which meets Indian Roads Congress (IRC) specifications?

A. Yes, the Indian Roads Congress issued IRC:116, “Specifications for Readymade Pothole
Patching Mix Using Cut-Back Bitumen” in 2014. It was drafted by me based on a pothole
patching mix I developed in the US while working as Chief Asphalt Road Engineer of the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. That mix was adjudged as the best pothole patching
mix in a 4-year US nationwide field research study (documented by US Transportation Research
Board). It has had excellent field performance when used by the Rajasthan PWD and the Jaipur
Development Authority. That is why; IRC adopted it.

Q. What is your role concerning this patching mix: do you hold a patent; do you produce
it; and do you sell it?

A. None whatsoever you mentioned. I have zero self-interest. It is an unpatented, generic mix
produced in accordance with IRC specification by local contractors using local materials.
Although it is simple to produce, I can provide voluntary technical assistance if there are any
questions concerning its production and placement.

Q. Is there any other pothole patching mix available in India, which is more economical
and equally effective throughout the year?

A. None whatsoever to my knowledge. I have challenged my highway colleagues to let me know

if there is such a mix. If so, I will definitely publicize that mix.

Q. One can wonder as to why this “magical” pothole patching mix has not been adopted
across India, which is the need of the hour to prevent these unwarranted tragic deaths
resulting from potholes? These are only deaths; numerous serious injuries also result as
well. In India, for every death there are 15 serious injuries such as loss of limb and reduced
capacity to work.

A. I am really puzzled myself. For the last 14 years or so, I have been writing to my highway
colleagues (sometimes twice a year) like a “broken gramophone record” about this amazing,
simple pothole repair technology. Now, I have over 2000 highway engineers across India on my
mailing list. I have provided to them all necessary documents (such as IRC specification;
nomenclature for this item for Basic Schedule of Rates and Notice for inviting tenders).
Unfortunately, no significant response has been received so far from them. I also prepared a
Simple Guide for producing and placing this readymade pothole patching mix (incorporating all
tendering details mentioned above). This Simple Guide which can be understood even by a C
Class contractor can be accessed and downloaded free at the following link.

https://www.scribd.com/document/388136056/A-Simple-Guide-for-Producing-and-Placing-
Readymade-Pothole-Patching-Mix-in-accordance-with-IRC-116-2014

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Q. You have persistently championed this cause for a number of years with no self interest
whatsoever. Don’t you get frustrated when there are no takers in the highway fraternity?

A. Yes, as a senior citizen, retired highway engineer of India I do get frustrated. We are killing
people. To put it bluntly, we are no different than many people who simply stand near road
accident victims without providing any aid. Sometimes, I wonder where is our “Atma” (soul)?

Q. Have you written to Hon. Nitin Gadkari and the Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways (MORTH) to encourage the states to implement this IRC approved specification
for pothole repair technology?

A. Yes, I have. MORTH has not issued a circular to states for encouraging the use of this IRC
approved specification. I do not understand why? The Central Road Research Institute has also
not promoted this IRC approved readymade pothole patching mix technology.

Q. What the State PWD, CPWD, MES, BRO, City Governments, and Municipal Engineers
can do to implement this technology?

A. They can take the following simple actions TODAY:

 Include the items of supplying and applying this mix in potholes in their Basic Schedule
of Rates (BSR) for facilitating the tendering process. Necessary nomenclature and rate
analyses for inclusion in the BSR are given in the Simple Guide referred to previously in
this letter. [I am offering everything on a plate; they just have to eat it.]
 Estimate the quantities of the readymade mix required by them and issue tenders today.
Keep in mind, this mix has a shelf life of over 6 months and can be used throughout the
year. Their local contractors can make it using locally available materials. They can order
MC-800 Cutback Bitumen and antistripping agent from their local bitumen suppliers.
Right now, HINCOL and Tiki Tar are supplying to Rajasthan contractors. Other can too.
Patching the pothole requires a laborer with a hand rammer only.
 Contact me via email if there is a need for voluntary technical assistance.

Q. This action is to be taken by the active highway engineers. What about those who are
retired?

A. It is the moral responsibility of the retired engineers to contact those who are in office now
(most likely one time their juniors) and apprise them about this technology and what to do to
implement it. They would be doing a great service to our nation. We have to realize most
government engineers are not technically savvy; some do not use emails even (I may not be
reaching them). They need advice and assistance.

Q. What about the Civil Engineering academia across India, how can they contribute?

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A. It is their moral responsibility to demonstrate the utility of this mix and provide technical
assistance to the government engineers (city and state) in the community where they live. It can
be difficult but can be done with persistence. I had the privilege of motivating the students and
faculty of the Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur where I live.
Together, we made this amazing mix and patched potholes of Jaipur roads. We got a lot of
publicity and now the Jaipur Development Authority is using it routinely since 2010. They are
extremely happy with its performance.

Q. What is your future plan in promoting this amazing pothole repair technology?

A. Although frustrated, I am not giving it up. I have approached concerned highway authorities
with no luck so far. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are likely to stop
financing road projects in India if the highway authorities cannot fix these “death traps” on
existing roads. Also, I am hoping may be one day, Hon. Prime Minister Modi will come to know
about this sordid affair and will put his foot down to implement it immediately so that these
unwarranted, preventable tragic deaths resulting from potholes can be stopped. The question is:
do we really need an authoritative order to implement it?

Sincerely,

Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal

Jaipur, Rajasthan
pkandhal@gmail.com
Home page: www.eng.auburn.edu/users/kandhps

“American roads are good not because America is rich, but America is rich because
American roads are good.” - John F. Kennedy

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." -
John F. Kennedy

ABOUT THE WRITER

Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal is Associate Director Emeritus of the National Center for Asphalt
Technology (NCAT) based at Auburn University, Alabama, U.S.A. NCAT is the largest asphalt
(bitumen) road technology center in the world.

Prior to joining NCAT in 1988, Prof. Kandhal served as Chief Asphalt Road Engineer of the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for 17 years. He has been chairman or president of
many national and international very prestigious organizations in the asphalt road technology
area. He co-authored the first ever textbook on bitumen road technology in the US. Recently, he
has also authored the first ever textbook on bituminous road construction technology in India.

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Prof. Kandhal has been a practicing highway engineer in India for 20 years and in the US for 30
years. Recently he has drafted many standards for the Indian Roads Congress including
specifications for dense graded bituminous mixes, stone matrix asphalt and readymade pothole
patching mix. He was also instrumental single-handedly in introducing viscosity grading of
bitumen in India in lieu of penetration grading in 2005.

In April 2012, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award in Asphalt Road Technology”
from the International Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists during their annual banquet
held in Austin, Texas, USA.
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