Blog · By Avinash Verma · 2026-10-11

How to report potholes in India

A pothole that nobody reports can sit on a road for months. Reporting it does two useful things: it warns other drivers, and it puts the problem in front of the people responsible for fixing it. This guide covers both.

First, report safely

Never stop in a traffic lane or use your phone while driving to report a pothole. Either ask a passenger to do it, or pull over somewhere safe first. If you need to take a photo, stand well away from traffic.

Before you report, note:

• The exact location. A map pin is best. Otherwise, a nearby landmark, the road name and which side of the road.
• The size and danger. Is it deep? Is it on a bend or under a flyover? Is it filled with water?
• A photo, if you can take one safely.

Warn other drivers: report in IndiaRoad Map

IndiaRoad Map is a free Android navigation app that lets you put a hazard on the shared map so other drivers are warned about it.

1. Tap the report-hazard button on the map or navigation screen. The app notes your location at that moment.
2. Choose the hazard type: pothole, speed breaker, bad road, accident, police, speed camera, traffic light, traffic jam, construction or a general hazard.
3. The hazard is placed at that location and appears for other drivers.

Drivers heading towards that spot later get a voice and on-screen warning about 10 seconds before they reach it, never closer than 100 m. You can also report from the car screen through Android Auto.

The app also detects many potholes, speed breakers and rough patches automatically using your phone's sensors, but manual reports matter for the potholes you managed to steer around, which the sensors can't feel. Read more on how pothole detection apps work.

A report in IndiaRoad Map warns drivers. It does not go to any government department, so to get the pothole repaired, also report it to the road authority as described below.

Get it repaired: who looks after the road?

Who you should contact depends on what kind of road it is.

City and town roads: your municipal body

Most local roads, colony roads and many main roads inside a city are maintained by the municipal corporation, municipal council or nagar panchayat. Most large municipal corporations have:

• a website with a complaints or grievance section,
• a mobile app for civic complaints, often covering roads, streetlights and drainage, and
• a helpline number, usually listed on the corporation's website.

Search for your city's municipal corporation website and look for "complaints", "grievance" or "public services". When you file a complaint, save the complaint or reference number so you can follow up.

In some cities, a development authority or a state agency maintains particular roads. If the municipal body says a road is not theirs, ask which agency is responsible.

State highways and major district roads: the state PWD

Roads between towns, and many major roads within districts, are usually maintained by the state's Public Works Department (PWD) or a state road development corporation. Most state PWDs have a website listing division offices and contact details, and many states run their own online grievance portal. Search for your state's PWD website or state grievance portal.

In rural areas, village roads may fall under the panchayat or a rural roads agency; the block or district office can tell you who is responsible.

National highways: the 1033 helpline

National highways (roads numbered "NH") are under the central government, and many are managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). NHAI runs a 24x7 national highway helpline, 1033. According to the Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL), the issues it handles include road conditions and potholes, as well as toll and FASTag queries and help for accident victims. Source: ihmcl.co.in/?p=6088. NHAI also lists 1033 as its helpline on its own site: nhai.gov.in/nhai/national-electronic-toll-collection.

If a complaint is ignored: CPGRAMS

If a complaint to a government body isn't resolved, you can use the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), the Government of India's online grievance portal, at pgportal.gov.in. It connects central ministries and departments with the states, lets you track your grievance with a registration number, and allows an appeal if you are not satisfied with the outcome. It is available on the web and as a mobile app.

Emergencies are different

If a pothole has just caused a crash and someone is hurt, don't file a complaint first. Call 112, India's single emergency number under the Emergency Response Support System, which connects to police, fire and ambulance services. Source: 112.gov.in.

Tips for a complaint that gets action

• Be precise about location. Share a map link or coordinates if the form allows it.
• Attach a clear photo showing the pothole and something for scale or context.
• Explain the risk in one line, for example "deep pothole in the left lane just after the flyover, filled with water".
• Keep the reference number and follow up if nothing happens.
• One pothole, one complaint, unless the whole stretch is broken, in which case say so.
• Be polite and factual. Officials handle a lot of complaints, and clear ones are easier to act on.

Summary

To warn the next driver, report the pothole in a navigation app like IndiaRoad Map. To get it fixed, report it to whoever maintains the road: the municipal body for city roads, the state PWD for state roads, and the 1033 helpline for national highways. If nothing happens, escalate through CPGRAMS.

How IndiaRoad Map helps

IndiaRoad Map is free on Google Play (it shows ads) and works in English and Hindi. Reporting takes a couple of taps, on your phone or through Android Auto, and your report warns every driver using the app on that road. Only the hazard and its location are shared, and hazards you report stay on the map without your name.