Waiting for action after one month

Waiting for action after one month
Deccan Herald

During the Great Bangalore Flood in October, when the City’s infrastructure meekly succumbed to nature’s fury, the authorities promised to set everything right, if only the city received “48 hours of sunshine”.

During the Great Bangalore Flood in October, when the City’s infrastructure meekly succumbed to nature’s fury, the authorities promised to set everything right, if only the city received “48 hours of sunshine”.

The rain gods have been kinder - there have been no rains in the last fortnight. But where are all the ‘corrective actions’ as promised?

A random check conducted by Deccan Herald across the City on Friday, from Kanakapura Road in the South, to Yeshwanthpur in the North, to Marathahalli in the East and Magadi Road in the West, revealed that there is no concrete work being done by any of the “concerned” authorities in these areas.

Mock exercises

Some signs of ‘development’ were visible, but they seemed like mock exercises. Cases in point were the “traffic diversions” on K H Road and Banashankari bus stop, introduced to facilitate road repair work.

There were no workers seen ‘repairing’ the dilapidated stretch near the Banashankari bus-stop, when this DH reporter visited the spot. The authorities’ efforts have only resulted in traffic jams, where several heavy vehicles competed with two-wheelers to gain space at the choked lane. The scene on K H Road was no different.

The collapsed part of K H Road, that leads to the Richmond Circle flyover, stood ignored, while five-six labourers set about repairing footpaths on Friday at 11.30 am.

According to a guard working in a neighbouring building, there has been no work on the affected stretch for the last two days.

Remains of the deluge

Meanwhile, Kanakapura Road still bear the remnants of the deluge gone by. Potholes were difficult to identify on the Road, as there was hardly a semblance of road from J P Nagar I stage to Konanakunte.

A grocery shop-owner at Konanakunte revealed that flooding was frequent in this area.

Magadi Road better

Though congested, Magadi Road fared better than its South and East Bangalore counterparts.

The roads in North Bangalore, leading to Yeshwantpur were smooth, except for some dangerous pothole patches between Rajajinagar and Yeshwantpur. Work on footpaths was on at a few stretches on Airport Road, but Marathahalli bridge and the IT Park Road leading to ITPL and Whitefield was a motorist’s hell. Mud moulds and broken roads posed danger to passing vehicles.

The traffic congestion on Airport Road also remained as bad as ever.

WHAT THEY HAD SAID

Damage to infrastructure in Bangalore estimated at Rs 500 crore post-floods

“Repair work will begin after we get 48 hours of sunshine”: BDA Commissioner Vidya Shankar on Oct 25

Roads will be repaired in all affected areas: Chief Minister Dharam Singh on Oct 29

Pothole-marked roads to be fixed: BMP on Oct 31

Airport Road, Sheshadri Road, Thimmaiah Road, Kamaraj Road, Cubbon Road, Jayamahal Road, Rajaram Mohan Roy Road, Margosa Road, Sampige Road, Hosur Road, Bellary Road and Ring Road will be upgraded: BMP on Oct 31