Civic bodies gear up quick action plans to repair rain damage

Civic bodies gear up quick action plans to repair rain damage
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Civic bodies in Bangalore have pledged to take up reconstruction of rain-damaged infrastructure in and around Bangalore on a war footing.

During a marathon meeting with Chief Minister N Dharam Singh on Monday, BMP, BDA and BWSSB Commissioners said they would complete many pending works within a one year.

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Jyotiramalingam said his organisation would take up reconstruction of severely damaged roads within four days. Besides, the Finance Department had given exemption under KTTP Act to take up work on three roads, while seven more roads are expected to get exemption under the Act in the next three days.

The BMP will also take up construction of seven roads with World Bank assistance, and complete work by June 30, 2006. The filling up of potholes will be taken up on a war footing.

While desilting of drains has been completed, desilting of tertiary drains will be taken up soon. In some places, retaining walls of drains have collapsed and the BMP will take up reconstruction of these walls soon, he added.

BDA Commissioner M N Vidyashankar said the BDA would be spending Rs 2.6 crore on Pai Layout near K R Puram, where water recently flooded houses in low-lying areas.

The BDA has called for short-term tenders and work would be completed by March end, he said. The BDA would also take up work in HSR layout at a cost of Rs 3.75 crore to prevent flooding during rains, and tenders have been opened to construct a road between Marathhalli and HAL.

Tender processing for the Outer Ring Road project between Magadi Road and Mysore Road will begin by next week, the BDA has notified tenders for the peripheral road, Vidyashankar added.

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Commissioner A K Manoli said the BWSSB had been successful in clearing sanitary blocks.

During the rains, water had entered the BWSSB chlorination plant as well as a terrestrial plant and the water had been pumped out. Manoli said the change in colour of water was due to sedimentation and no harm would be caused in using the water.

BWSSB is bringing down the sedimentation level, he added.