Protest against bad roads turns violent

Protest against bad roads turns violent
The Times of India

Bangalore: The police caned residents of Yelachenahalli on Kanakapura Road who had taken to the streets in protest against bad roads.

At 9.30 a m , around 500 persons gathered o n Kanakapura Road and blocked vehicles. Traffic movement on the road and adjoining Kumaraswamy Layout, Banashankari and ISRO Layout was affected for over four hours. Bus traffic between Kanakapura and Bangalore was the worst hit.

The crowd did not relent even when police and CMC officials promised the roads would be rebuilt shortly. A bandh-like atmosphere prevailed in the area, with shopkeepers downing their shutters.

Violence broke out when somebody in the crowd started pelting a bus with stones. Over 30 vehicles, including BMTC and private buses, were damaged. “We were forced to resort to l at h - i ch a r g e. Five police pers o n n e l sustained injuries in the stonet h row - ing,’’ a senior police officer said. Officials of the public works department (national highways division) promised that the road would be “patched up’’ by December 17 and made motorable.

Executive engineer Ramindra told TOI: “The real problem is the sandladen lorries that bring in thrice the permitted load.’’ he said.

FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE

Whose responsibility is Kanakapura Road?
Bangalore: Friday’s protest by residents against the bad state of Kanakapura Road has again posed the ever-elusive question: “Whose baby is Kanakapura Road? Who is responsible for upgrading the stretch and maintenance?’’

It is a real knotty issue. The area surrounding Kanakapura Road is not included under BMP. The Palike’s jurisdiction ends soon after the Ring Road junction on Kanakapura Road. After the junction, the area falls under Bommanahalli CMC limits but being a state highway, Kanakapura main road is maintained by the state highways.

“We have chalked out projects for road upgradation in the area excluding Kanakapura main road. Since it is a highway, it has to be upgraded and maintained by the PWD. For inner roads, we will shortly take up comprehensive asphalting programme,’’ CMC Bommanahalli commissioner Uday Shankar told The Times of India.

On its part, the BMP, in each year’s budget makes provision for upgradation of connecting roads outside its jurisdiction falling under CMC areas. But the project has never taken off. Another similar project has become a nonstarter. According to officials, under the World Bank funded comprehensive arterial road upgradation project, BMP had included the 1.75 km stretch from Konanakunte to ring road junction on Kanakapura Road for upgradation at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

But when the project was moved for tendering, it was deleted from the list as the BMP’s line of thinking was: “When there is shortage of funds for BMP’s road projects, why include the stretch coming under the CMC’s jurisdiction and spend money on it?’’ The stretch is in a deplorable state and does not have any semblance to a road — full of craters and potholes. This heavy-vehicle density stretch has been damaged in such as way that not a patch of asphalt is visible. And less said the better about its condition when it rains.

Deadline next Saturday


Bangalore: In response to public protests on the Kanakapura road on Friday, public works (national highways division) officials who are responsible for the road promised that the road would be “patched-up’’ by next Saturday (December 17) and made motorable.

Executive engineer Ramindra told The Times of India: “I personally inspected the road along with the Bangalore urban DC and instructed our engineers to take immediate action. We have sought central funds to repair the road, but pending this, we are going ahead with the repairs costing about Rs 50 lakh.’’
Ramindra admitted that not only the Kanakapura to Bangalore stretch — where the Yelachenalli residents protested — but the Malavalli to Kanakapura stretch was also in a bad shape. “The real problem is the sand mining lorries that bring in thrice the permitted load. The local people are helping us stop these lorries during daytime, but they sneak past in the night and ruin the road,’’ he stated. The state has sent video and photographic evidence of the road condition to the Union ministry of road transport and sought Rs 12 crore to fix the entire road. “Our officials are right now in New Delhi trying to get funds,’’ Ramindra added.