Leaking pipes damage repaired roads

Leaking pipes damage repaired roads

Afshan Yasmeen

Lack of coordination between BBMP and BWSSB blamed for the situation

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

HALT AND PROCEED: A stretch of the Kathriguppa Main Road in Bangalore has developed a huge crater right in the middle.

BANGALORE: The 1.7-km stretch of Kathriguppe Main Road from Vidyapeeta Circle up to Ring Road was upgraded in June under the Karnataka Municipal Reforms Project (KMRP) at a cost of Rs. 2.73 crore. But within days craters and potholes have appeared at various points causing inconvenience to motorists.

Similarly, the stretch of Magadi Main Road from the Toll Gate junction (Mysore deviation road) up to Sankadakatte, which was developed under this project a few months ago, has developed subsidence and craters at several places. The surface is uneven at several places and the road has not been asphalted up to the pavement at most other locations. The condition of several other key stretches is similar.

The findings of engineers from Civil-Aid Techno Clinic Private Ltd. (CTCPL), an associate organisation of Torsteel Foundation, which has conducted the third party inspection for these roads, confirmed this. “The contractors have not met the quality specifications on several stretches and more than 20 per cent of the work is substandard,” R. Nagendra from CTCPL told The Hindu on Tuesday.

According to top sources in the BBMP, several stretches of the completed KMRP roads are wearing out because the civic body dropped the proposal to shift utility lines, especially water and underground drainage (UGD) pipes. “This is because the cost of shifting the lines has been estimated at more than Rs. 50 crore,” sources said.

Ever since work on upgrading 41 roads under the KMRP started in November 2005, the BBMP has spent Rs. 60 crore of the Rs. 150 crore World Bank assistance.

“We could not afford Rs. 50 crore only on shifting the lines. So we dropped the proposal. Although we asked Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to strengthen the existing lines, they have not obliged,” a top official involved in the project said. “The underground lines are old and have worn out. They cannot bear the heavy load on the roads and keep bursting often. This affects the asphalted surface resulting in potholes and craters on the road,” the official said.

While BWSSB officials point out that they could not shift the lines unless the BBMP deposited the required amount, the KMRP contractors (KNR Constructions and R.N. Shetty Constructions) are having a field day.

“Lack of coordination among the utility agencies has turned out beneficial to the contractors as they have a reason for the recurring potholes. Although we have found that work executed by KNR Constructions is not satisfactory and lagging behind schedule, we are unable to terminate the contract because re-tendering for the work might delay the work,” KMRP Project Director Puttamalagaiah told The Hindu.

As the contractors have to maintain the completed roads for a year (as per the tender guidelines), they have been filling the potholes so far. But if the potholes keep recurring will the KMRP roads last 10 years as promised?

“We are thinking of alternatives to this problem. We will consult experts and see what can be done on the remaining roads,” Mr. Puttamalagaiah added.