Deadline for underpass ends

Deadline for underpass ends
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The damaged BWSSB water supply and drainage pipelines continued to trouble the men and machines, as they struggled hard to install the pre-cast boxes...


Determined to stick to its 72-hour deadline to complete the underpass on Chowdiah Road, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was engaged in a battle against time till late Friday night. But the damaged BWSSB water supply and drainage pipelines continued to trouble the men and machines, as they struggled hard to install the pre-cast boxes.

The Palike workers spent time from Thursday evening till Friday evening to clear the accumulated water and silt from the dug trenches. Stones, sand and cement were continuously poured into the trenches. JCBs were active, filling trenches and digging 5.2-metre deep to fix the elements.

On Thursday, three water supply pipes and a drainage pipe were cut accidentally. This inundated the trenches, triggering virtual chaos at the project site.

While some area residents blamed the lack of coordination between BWSSB and BBMP for the delay, BBMP commissioner Dr S Subrahmanya expressed displeasure that there was no cooperation from the water board officials to complete the task on time.

“We had made the arrangements to complete the work on time, but the cut water pipe lines delayed the project,” he said. The Palike had requested the water board officials to shift the pipelines.

The board officials had replied that the water was not being supplied from the pipelines. But there was enough water to fill the trenches when the pipes were cut accidentally. BWSSB officials maintained that the pipelines were installed 20-feet deep inside the soil almost one hundred years ago. This came to light only when the BBMP official dug soil deep.

“After examining the pipelines, we immediately stopped the water supply,” explained a senior Board official.

Dr Subramanya said in all civil engineering projects, there would be some minor hiccups. “The work will be taken up on full swing once BWSSB completes its work at the construction site,” he said, wondering why the BBMP was projected as a villain.

“In fact we deserve appreciation for having taken an innovative project in the right spirit. My entire team of engineers is working round the clock.”

Vowing to complete the entire work in the next 48 hours, BBPM Technical Advisor Jaiprasad, said bumping into utility lines was common while implementing major projects in Bangalore, as there were no drawings available to fix their exact location. “In many areas, water pipelines were laid five to six decades ago. But BWSSB has done a good job by immediately shifting its line at the project site,” he said.

Drinking water would be supplied to Yeshwanthpur, Malleswaram, Sanjay Nagar, R T Nagar, K G Nagar and surrounding areas on Saturday, he added.