BMP submits report on damaged roads

BMP submits report on damaged roads

The Hindu

BMP engineers, Urban Development Department officials take up joint inspection of bad roads

# 700 km of roads damaged
# Even repaired stretches of roads have deteriorated
# A special package sought to repair high-density corridor

Bangalore: Last month's record rainfall has left most city roads in bad shape.

According to estimates by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), nearly 700 km of roads need to be repaired on priority and the weather has to hold good for at least some days for any major repairs to be taken up.

Worst-hit areas

Roads in south-western parts of the city suffered the most; the northern areas had their share too. Even the repaired stretches of Bannerghatta Road are back to their original state.

The BMP has submitted to the Urban Development Department a report on the damage to roads and the order of priority for road repairs to be taken up. The priority for the civic authorities is to drain the water and let them dry out for some days at least.

Repairs will start with patch-ups, filling of potholes and followed by resurfacing. A joint inspection of roads was carried out by the BMP engineers and those of the Urban Development Department.

Special package

A special package for repairs of roads in the "high-density corridor" has been proposed. This will cover most roads in Koramanagala, Yeshwantpur, Peenya and adjacent areas.

No official estimates are available but the cost of repairs can be around Rs. 100 crores, going by past experience, some officials say.

The 700 km of roads identified for urgent repairs include a 140-km stretch, which is to be improved with World Bank assistance, 250 km. of arterial roads and 300 km. of local and feeder roads.

Sources in the Government say repairs are likely to be delayed because asphalting of roads in 27 wards recently added to BMP is still pending.

Cost escalation and disputes with contractors are reportedly holding up work and under the circumstances finding contractors for the current road repair work may become difficult.

While most roads can be brought back to fairly usable state within weeks, a long-term solution in the form of preventing flooding and better drainage is the only way to save the roads from deterioration, officials say.