OPERATION IMPROVE BANGALORE

PROJECTS HIT THE ROAD
The Times of India

Go-getter govt pleases all

Bangalore: It is not very easy to impress the IT sector, but chief secretary B K Das appears to have successfully caught their fancy.

IT honchos who attended Friday’s infrastructure committee meeting chaired by Das, were impressed that the CS had gone into every detail of each project including when the work order is expected to be issued. Officials who gave presentations to the panel were grilled and directed to ensure that all deadlines are met. Also, the Karnataka Land Army Corporation representative Srikant was called to the meeting to give details on the 29 roads taken up in the Phase I of Operation Improve Bangalore.

Housing secretary Subhir Hari Singh represented urban development secretary Shamim Banu, who has gone to Washington DC along with BCC commissioner K Jothiramalingam to finalise details of the Rs 1,400-crore World Bank loan under the Karnataka Municipal Reforms Programme.

OPERATION IMPROVE BANGALORE

The infrastructure committee has given the Karnataka Land Army Corporation and BCC instructions on the measures to be taken up on all 19 roads (total length 22.34 km)

Each road will have a minimum of two metres wide footpath, except where there is no space. All footpaths will be laid with concrete slabs of specified measurement. All footpaths will have proper, cement concrete block curb stones. Ducting for optic fibre cable will be provided on both sides of roads. New design for water drains, adopted at Jeevanbimanagar Road, will be taken up. Trees that jut into the road (like the ones in front of HSBC on MG Road and another in front of Hotel Leela Palace) will be removed. One layer strengthening of dense bituminous macadem will be laid along all identified roads, with a top layer of bituminous macadem, higher than the IRC standards.

Roads identified

Deadline: December 15 (76 days)
1. MG Road (Brigade Road junction to Trinity Church junction): 1.3 km.
2. Ulsoor Road (Trinity Church junction - Taj Residency junction - Dickenson Road junction): 1.8 km.
3. Airport Road (100 Feet Road junction - Airport Road junction - Suranjandas Road junction): 1 km.
4. Koramangala 20th Main (80 Feet Road to Hosur Road at Forum): 1.5 km.
5. Jeevanbimanagar Road: 1 km.

Deadline: January 15 (86 days)
1. Magarath Road (Brigade Road junction - Richmond Road junction): 0.86 km.
2. Mayo Hall junction - Garuda Mall - Lifestyle junction: 0.74 km.
3. Indiranagar 80 Feet Road (Old Madras Road to Airport Road v i a Kodihalli): 2 km.
4. Indiranagar XII Main Road (80 Feet Road - 100 Feet Road - Sai Baba Temple): 1.25 km.
5. Koramangala I A Cross (100 Feet Road - 20th Main Road up to Sukh Sagar Hotel): 1 km.
6. Koramangala V Cross Road (100 Feet Road - 20th Main Road - Canara Bank Road): 0.65 km.

Deadline: January 31 (102 days)
1. Dickenson Road (MG Road junction - Kamaraj junction): 1.2 km. 2.
Primrose Road - Barton Road - Church Street: 0.97 km.
3. Vittal Mallya Road - Lavelle Road - Madras Bank Road: 1 km.
4. Museum Road - Haines Road - Convent Road: 1.17 km.
5. Thippasandra Main Road (80 Feet Road - Suranjanadas Road): 1.4 km.
6. Koramangala VIII Main Road (100 Feet Road - Sarjapur Road): 1.5 km.
7.Koramangala VIII Main Road (100 Feet Road - 80 Feet Road - Sarjapur Road): 1.4 km.
8. Lower Agaram Road (Richmond Road - Ejipura Main Road).

Deadlines set
The infrastructure committee reviewed the following short-term projects and set deadlines

Road improvement through new designs and relaying; prevention of waterlogging; new footpaths.
Action: Work began on first five, by Karnataka Land Army Corporation, deadline is December 15; next six roads deadline is January 15; all 19 by January 31.

Banning of truck traffic on Hosur Road and Outer Ring Road between 6 am & 10 am and 4 pm & 8 pm as suggested by Infosys chief N R Narayana Murthy.
Action: Will be done from October 2.

Moving of bus stands from junctions to prevent traffic congestion; ensuring that buses don’t halt in middle of traffic.
Action: As per the list prepared by BMTC and BCC, 40 bus stands shifted by October 15; 200 bus stop areas were marked for buses to halt; drivers being trained to ensure rules are followed; ‘Sarathi’ vehicles to ensure public are told not to stand in road corners to board buses.

Signal synchronisation, intelligent traffic management through cameras and sensors which automatically ensure that traffic is diverted onto alternate roads, away from clogged traffic signals.
Action: Signal synchronisation by October-end, feasibility study on for intelligent traffic management systems.

Lane marking on Outer Ring Road to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
Action: BDA to set up gantries (overhanging boards as in Chennai’s Mount Road), mark left lane for autorickshaws and slow-moving traffic, central lane for trucks and right lane for cars and fast-moving four-wheelers; bus-shelters already tendered.

Flyovers and underpasses by BDA.
Action: BDA wants work on Jayadeva and Airport Rd flyover ahead of deadlines of July and August, 2006; Anand Rao Circle by Dec. 3 underpasses — at Ramamurthynagar on ORR, Magadi and West of Chord Rd — being planned, while Wind Tunnel Rd-Airport jn taken up after Airport Road flyover completion.

WHAT THEY SAID

T V Mohandas Pai, Infosys CFO: I want to clarify that IT companies do not cause traffic jams. Most of our personnel come by company buses or BMTC. Our aim is to ensure that Bangalore gets better infrastructure.

R K Misra, Flextronics V-P: We are willing to do our bit. We have discussed infrastructure so much with the government that all of us are speaking in the same voice now.

B K Das, chief secretary: we are happy with the progress today. Many of IT sector’s grievances were alleviated.