Buses set to vroom on drains

Buses set to vroom on drains
Prathima Nandakumar | TNN

Bangalore: The IT city’s glass facades and modern structures are in stark contrast to the 224 km of stench-filled, open drains running along arterial roads. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s latest whim is to beautify at least some eyesore stretches into classy bus lanes. The road-ondrain project, mooted by the BBMP under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), is finally taking shape with the BBMP calling for expression of interest from developers.
The consultants will identify the drain stretches and propose globalstandards designs.
“The idea is to retain the primary function of the drain — to carry storm water to lakes and rivers without interruption. The design should protect that function, even as it provides carriageway for an alternative public transport — buses or autorickshaws,’’ said BBMP joint commissioner (works) Harsh Gupta.
The stretches from Vasanthnagar to Airport Road, Mysore Road to Hosur Road and JC Road to KR Road have been mapped for the project. The width of drains must be at least 18 metres for this. An economic and technical feasibility study with other stakeholders, like the traffic department, Bescom, BWSSB and BDA, is yet to be done.
This is not the first time BBMP has mooted such a proposal. In Jan 2007, it proposed a public parking lot over the storm water drain near Ulsoor. But the project has not moved forward, because remodelling of the sewage water drain has not been completed. The project could have provided a solution to two important challenges — stench from open drains and traffic congestion on narrow and one-way roads in the area.
“It was meant to decongest Brigade, Commercial and MG Roads, and traders were to provide ferry services. It would have also enhanced the aesthetics of the area,’’ explained Gupta.
At many places, covered drains have doubled up as parking lots, jogging tracks or gardens in residential layouts. But poor designing of the covers could obstruct free flow of water and result in flooding during the rainy season. Also, erecting pillars in the drainbed interrupts free flow of water and narrows the drain width.
THE CONCEPT
A defunct primary drain on Lazar Road was closed and a road laid. Citizens’ movement helped the project
A deck constructed on the primary drain in Koramangala Valley running through National Games Village is being used as parking space. But pillars erected to support the parking lot are resulting in flooding during rain
The train-on-drain concept, mooted by former mayor P R Ramesh, bombed