Weeds growing out of BBMPs promise

BANGALORE: It comes as no surprise that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) reputation as a civic body that works on time is miserably tarnished. For example, the desilting work taken up by the BBMP in the Challaghatta Valley storm water drain (SWD) is a classic example of the civic body’s lackadaisical attitude.The BBMP began desilting the storm water drain in close proximity to an apartment complex on Old Airport Road during the first week of August this year. However, the silt is still lying by the road and now has cows feeding off the weeds that have grown on it over the last three months.In a report published by City Express, ‘Digging up old matter’, on August 31, Hegde, the assistant executive engineer in charge of the project had assured that the silt will be removed by middle of September. He had claimed, “By the first week of September, we will finish the work and all the silt will be transported by September 15,” he had said.On Friday, the silt still remains. If it is not removed, then a probably a mini forest will soon be growing out of the mound.Hegde blamed the lorry strike for the inability to get rid of the silt. “Our hands were tied. There was no transportation. Now that the strike has been called off, I will ensure that the silt is cleared within a week,” he said, setting himself a deadline, yet again. But he had no answer when questioned about the removal of the silt prior to the strike.The historyThe report that was published had also mentioned the contradicting statements made by various BBMP officials. While one engineer claimed that the drain was desilted last year itself, his claims were shot down when Mayuri Nigam, a resident of the apartment facing the storm water drain said, “I moved into my house two years ago. The drain has not been cleaned since I moved in,” she had said.Hegde had informed that in reality the drain had not been desilted in the last 10 years. He had said, “While desilting, a 11 kVA cable had burst. The cable was almost touching the floor of the drain. when I enquired, the Bangalore Electric Supply Company (BESCOM) authorities informed us that the cable has been there for the last 10 years. Neither has the drain been desilted since and nor has anyone complained.”