Bad roads remain despite several schemes

Bad roads remain despite several schemes

The Hindu

Potholes appear within months of roads being asphalted; tenders for RS. 244-crore roadwork to be called soon

# Roads laid under municipal bond scheme deteriorate in three years
# First phase of the complete blacktop project yet to be finished
# BMP planning to start road upgradation project at Rs. 244 crores


BANGALORE: The road in front of Sundari Memorial School in Kutiyappa Garden of Ejipura was asphalted last year. But the tar has been washed away and the road has become unusable. The gaping potholes pose a danger to motorists and have put them to hardship.

Similar is the case with the 6th Main Road in Govindarajnagar or even the Raj Bhavan Road, which were asphalted a few months ago. Potholes on the roads, which were patched up later, have re-appeared now.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is spending crores of rupees every year on road upgradation. But the condition of the roads turns worse a few months after the implementation of every project.

When the civic body initiated the Rs. 125-crore municipal bond scheme in 1998 for road upgradation, citizens were promised that the roads asphalted under this scheme will not need any repairs for seven years. While the project cost escalated by Rs 140 crores, the roads returned to their "original condition" three years after the project was implemented.

Subsequently, the Rs. 20-crore motorable roads project, the Rs. 120-crore "Complete Blacktop" asphalting project to upgrade 1,000 km of roads were launched. Though the motorable roads project has passed away as "another BMP project," the first phase of the complete blacktop project is yet to be finished. "Roads identified for upgradation under this project in Srinivasanagar and Padmanabhanagar have not been touched," alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) floor leader in the BMP Council, B.M. Mangala.

The Opposition Janata Dal (Secular) leader, B.R. Nanjundappa, ridiculed that the same roads are taken up under every project. "Now the BMP is planning to start a massive road upgradation project at a cost of Rs. 244 crores. Most of the stretches of the city's 4,000-km road network have been covered under one or the other project in the last few years. It is not surprising if the same stretches are taken up again," he said.

The members pointed out that as per the tender conditions, the contractors entrusted with the work have to maintain the roads for three years. "But not a single road is being maintained after the work. If the same roads are taken up again and again, it is less work for the contractor," Ms. Mangala said.

The Commissioner, K. Jothiramalingam, informed the council members on July 29 that tenders for roadwork at a cost of Rs. 244 crores will be called soon.

These works include those to be taken up under the World Bank project at a cost Rs. 140 crores, works under the civic body's budgetary allocation for upgradation of major roads at a cost of Rs. 50 crores, ward grants of Rs. 30 crores and the second phase of "complete blacktop asphalting" of roads at a cost Rs. 63 crores.

Under the World Bank project, the BMP will again upgrade medians, pavements and also lay ducts to avoid road cutting in future. The BMP recently completed the first phase of pavement upgradation project at a cost of Rs. 20 crores.