For better roads

For better roads
The Times of India


In September 2005, the High Court appointed a panel comprising three veteran experts on civic issues - Capt Raja Rao, Balakrishna and BCC's technical consultant R Jaiprasad. That was the time when everybody - from the IT industry to resident welfare associations - cried hoarse on the state of the roads in Bangalore. One had to find roads amid potholes, at many places roads had been unasphalted for years, and at many other places drain water flowed perennially onto roads destroying them. What then, was the remedy for the 4,200 km length of city roads?

The three-member panel has thus far submitted five comprehensive reports putting under arc lights what ailed the arterial roads and how engineers could tackle them. In their fifth and final report, the panel gave a thumbs-down to the much hyped World Bank funded roads. These were supposed to be the best ever, the BCC had advertised.

However the good news is that, the BCC will be filing a detailed action taken report on all the recommendations made so far.

After coming up with 74 recommendations in their previous four reports, the panel has come up with a series of fresh observations pointing out lacunae in the works and recommendations. If implemented, they explain how quality of roads can be made better.

Here are the recommendations:

The road quality and riding surface of many arterial roads are not satisfactory. BCC should include such arterial roads for upgradation after carrying out scientific and technical evaluation.

For all new wards where roads are supposed to be upgraded, the asphalt overlay needs to be thoroughly investigated to check the sub-base condition and only after ensuring that sub-base is suitable and stable should the roads be upgraded.

To avoid frequent and unnecessary interference that deprives BCC engineers their legitimate authority and power to award piece works, specific guidelines are to be framed by BCC for the entrustment of works on piece work system.

Letter of intent concept brought in vogue has no locus standi in legal parlance. This word is not defined anywhere in the tender document, contractors are questioning the validity of the letter. Therefore to avoid legal consequences BCC should issue only work order and stop issuing letter of intent.

Certain important field tests are to be carried out at the spot regularly during execution of road works. Therefore, quality control division of BCC should have a mobile lab and every day, the sub-division should have essential facilities to carry out important tests during executions.

The pothole filling is a routine work in every ward every year. The durability of the pothole filling will depend on the effective compaction using appropriate road roller. It is noticed that road rollers are not provided to the executive engineers. Therefore, to produce good quality of compaction and durable pothole filling it is necessary that every sub-division should be provided with a 'mini vibratory roller'.