BANGALORE: Road Widening has claimed the lives of many trees and also helped ‘erode’ the green from the Garden city.Though, this is claimed as ‘requirement’ by the civic agencies, their constant delays and apathy has claimed another victim; unassuming Bangaloreans.Suranjandas Road, that connects HAL Airport and Old Madras Road stands as testimony to this problem.Though the proposal to widen the road was made over two years ago, the Civic body’s blame game has cost the city dear.While the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is awaiting their turn to widen the road, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are taking their sweet time to complete undertaken works of relaying water pipes.Speaking to City Express, engineer-in-chief of the Water Board Venkat Raju, shared that two pipes would be laid there. Claiming that the work was ‘in progress’, he said that drinking water would be supplied through the pipes. “The work would be completed within December this year”, he assured but also ‘passed the buck’ to the BBMP and said that the BBMP were not giving clear instructions on where the pipe should be laid.But with the BWSSB’s past reputation of missing deadlines and leaving roads in a pityable state, commuters will be forced to battle dust and bottle necks on the road, as monsoon sets in. The BBMP on the other hand claim to be waiting for the BWSSB to complete their works, so that they can begin theirs.According to KT Nagraj, superintendent engineer (Major Roads), the work can only be started once the BWSSB is done, laying the underground pipes.While the work has begun near HAL, the area ahead of BEML gate seems is almost untouched.As a result of one waiting for the other, the commuter is left in the lurch. The two lane road has been dug up on either sides on particular stretches, further creating bottlenecks and traffic jams. While the road is dug up on the side of Railway track opposite Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a little further down, the road has been dug opposite the Railway tracks.Added to this, the mud left beside the roads have become a concoction of slush, during heavy down pours, making the road a difficult path to commute on. The road also witnesses more than two to three feet of water, in more than one spot.“Monsoons come every year at the same time. Why was the work not completed? The ones to face the music is us and not the civic agencies,” said Karthik Yedukumar, a resident of Tippasandra.He also mentioned that commuting on the road after the rains becomes a hellish experience due to all the mess.
Comments
0 comment