Dr. Prathap Rao Interview

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Dr. Prathap Rao, a.k.a PotHole Raja, helping fix potholes in Bengaluru, India (photo by: PotHole Raja, 2022)

Potholes are a proper pain for road-users, damaging cars and putting lives at risk. They are predominantly caused by water and traffic. Water weakens the soil beneath the pavement while traffic applies the loads that stress the pavement past the breaking point. Left unrepaired, they will grow wider and deeper and more dangerous.

Dr. Prathap Bhimasena Rao, Founder and CEO of GroundReality and PotHoleRaja, is on a mission to develop sustainable road infrastructure in the bustling burg of Bengaluru, India. ADPC spoke to him on the sidelines of the Seventh Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to learn more.

‘While constructing roads, the possible disasters, climate, environmental hazards, and structure longevity are not evaluated,’ he explains. ‘Therefore, when disaster strikes and the connectivity is lost, reaching the place looms as a foremost hurdle to cross.’

The PotHole Raja patches potholes with recycled plastic. His GridMats technology has helped blanket over 20,000 potholes and develop over 500 km of SMART roads across India!

GridMats technology over damaged roads (Photo by: PotHole Raja, 2022)

Governments need to focus on creating sustainable
solutions that will withstand the potential and predictable disasters rather than developing strategies to handle disasters after they have occurred!

‘The GridMats can be installed with various sensors to recognize the potential threat of landslide and breakage,’ he says, adding that it is particularly useful in hill ranges that experience extreme weather.

‘PotHoleRaja has used GridMats in Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan range roads with fragile movements, and internal roads for the commercial and residential complex,’ he says. ‘They hold the soil without erosion. This makes it very useful in rain and floodprone areas, and it can handle the widespread compressive or vibratory movement during disasters like landslides or floods.’

The GridMats are strong and durable as well, with a load bearing capacity of over 407 tons per square meter for empty grids and have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years. They also save up to 65 percent of concrete and require less water usage for curing, thereby reducing the need to use more fossil fuels during construction and maintenance. But the PotHoleRaja is going digital as well. Working with multiple partners and communities, it is developing a series of SMART roads using sensors and the Internet of Things and harnessing solar energy on roads with micro grids for local and large-scale supplies.

‘Governments need to focus on creating sustainable solutions that will withstand the potential and predictable disasters rather than developing strategies to handle disasters after they have occurred,’ he explains. ‘If the infrastructure constructed is resilient, it can withstand times of disaster as well as aid reconstruction.’

Dr. Prathap Bhimasena Rao is Founder and CEO of GroundReality and PotHoleRaja

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homolata

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Patched-up and Pothole-free with Dr. Prathap Rao

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homolata

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