BCC ban fails

BCC ban fails
Vijay Times

DESPITE the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) imposing a strict ban on cutting open roads during week days, various utility providing agencies and private telephone operators continue to violate the protocol in some of the busy areas of the City .

ONE SUCH INCIDENT

F or the last one week, motorists using the busy Richmond Road have been finding driving on the road a herculean task as the road has been cut open by workers of the Bangalore W ater Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for laying water pipes.

While the BCC stresses on the T renchless method, the BWSSB has dug a hole that is atleast three feet deep and two feet wide.

The BCC, in a bid to avoid causing inconvenience to the public, has made it clear that roads can be cut open only on Saturdays, Sundays and on general (public?) holidays. The rule applies to go vernment agencies like the BWSSB, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and the Karnataka P o wer T ransmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).

Nevertheless, the officials concerned have turned a blind eye to the protocol and in some cases, corporators have been allegedly supporting them.

It may be recalled that a meeting was held with all the Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) agencies on N o vember 30, 2005 under the chairmanship of the BCC additional commissioner (Finance) P K Srihari.

Srihari, who also holds additional charge as engineer-inchief, had then explained to them the protocol governing road cutting.

The protocol binds telephone operators and other civic bodies like BWSSB, BESCOM, KPTCL and BSNL to register themselves as contractors for taking up road cutting and restoration operations.

The road cutting should take place in the presence of the BCC Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) or junior engineer of the respective ward where the road was being cut.

The contractors, who should possess gadgets like jack hammers or pneumatic hammers for the purpose, should use the H orizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method. The protocol strongly forbids manual road cutting. The BCC has also made it clear in its protocol that trenches opened should be co vered the same day with a well graded pre-mix of emulsion or hot mix.

OFFICIAL SPEAK

T alking to BVT on condition of anonymity , an engineer in the BCC head office said that some contractors, in connivance with the AEE, had dug to an extent of over 20 kms while obtaining permission for only five kms.

"So far , only a handful of contractors have been punished though roads have been cut rampantly ," he alleged.

"The AEEs should ensure that the dug up portion of the road is restored properly . Hardly any engineer does this," he added.

"Only strict supervision by the officials concerned can prevent road damage by such contractors," he opined.

When BCC engineer-in-chief Ramegowda was contacted, he said road cutting would not be entertained during week days. Permission could be granted only for emergency work like plugging leakages.

If anybody is found digging roads without proper authorisation, they will be penalised, he said. The contractors concerned have to pay double the amount required for repair , he informed.