Pot-holed roads speedbreakers to progress

Pot-holed roads speedbreakers to progress
Deccan Herald

The various agencies and developers who could make a real difference to Bangalore’s infrastructure are unfortunately, working in isolation.


Bangalore has witnessed drastic changes in the past five years. If the IT industry came, saw and conquered, the BPO industry and call centres gave the City’s youngsters a new lifestyle to savour. The influx, experts say, was so sudden, that it did not leave enough time for what should have been - parallel infrastructure development. Standing witness to this are, on the one hand, posh, glass windows of high-rise buildings, and on the other, potholed roads which have a somewhat jarring effect on the speeding economy.

In the last two parts of this series, we explored the possibilities of making public-private partnerships work towards better infrastructure in Bangalore. While this seems like a good option to explore, such partnerships are not common elsewhere. A US government official’s statement revealed this.

Pat from the US

During his recent visit to Bangalore, US Secretary for Transportation Norman Y Mineta said that Bangalore and the rest of India provide a model for the US in fostering public-private partnerships.

He quoted the instance of the international airport where 74 per cent of the shares are held by private players and said in the US, the government traditionally plans, funds and maintains infrastructure unlike in India, where a large chunk is given out to private players.

Taking the cue from the Pune corporation, in Karnataka, the HDMC (Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation) has already constituted a BOT Cell, the first of its kind in the State.

A 11-member committee in this cell comprising officials and non-officials will involve private agencies in the development of the twin cities. In turn, the private players will be allowed to display their signboards at medians, bridges, etc. The HDMC compensated for fund crunch by tying up with interested private agencies.

In Bangalore, it seems like the various agencies that could make a difference, are operating like islands. Developers in Bangalore are making hay, thanks to the sudden spurt in spending power of the average Bangalorean added to the rock bottom rates of home loans.

New apartment blocks that have come up, especially in the IT corridor, sell like hot cakes. While the interiors of these housing complexes feature neatly laid out pavements and closely cropped grass, one step on to the public road, and the difference is there for all to see.

Estimates

Going by the estimate of Rs 1,800 per sq metre to lay one km of road (as it is in Pune), it would cost the developer approximately Rs 18 lakh to lay the road.

Apart from this, there are other costs – to put up the pavement, greening, median, streetlights, drains, etc. Is this asking for too much to retain the IT industry in Bangalore – the very reason for the boom in almost every other sector?

When Infosys mentor N R Narayana Murthy acquired 100 acres of land at Hinjewadi Software Technology Park, Phase I, Pune, to set up the second biggest Infosys campus after Bangalore, it created a flutter in the Karnataka government.

While some said it was only a natural progression, others attributed the move to bad infrastructure in Bangalore. But that was not a one-off move. Mr Murthy went ahead and bought more land at Hinjewadi Park Phase II.

And Wipro, Cognizant Software and TCS, and BPO biggies such as WNS, EDS, EXL, Convergys, Avaya, Aviva, Xansa, Msource, followed him to Pune.

Taking a closer look at the pluses and minuses of Bangalore and Pune, the cities are similar in a lot of ways. Almost the same problems plague both the cities.

One of them is bad roads and the second is the absence of an international airport. Nitin Karir, Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, said: “Roads are the corporation’s top priority”.

Need to deliver

He seems to be more than aware of the urgent need to deliver. “Once this partnership starts functioning, the developers will make such a habit of making good roads around their property that the quality of roads everywhere will improve,” said Rajesh Choudhary, Convenor of the PBAP (Promoters and Builders Association of Pune)-PMC(Pune Municipal Council) Committee.

If it works well, Pune can keep the IT industry in their good books and might not have to invite the wrath of the IT bigwigs, the way Bangalore has.

Till then, it’s still a rocky road.