BBMP launches major drive to asphalt roads before monsoon

BBMP launches major drive to asphalt roads before monsoon

S. Rajendran

Next three months may see a qualitative improvement in city’s roads



GETTING READY: Work is on at a brisk pace on an arterial road in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is focussing on a major roads improvement drive to asphalt most of the arterial roads before the onset of the South-West Monsoon in May. The next three months would thus facilitate a qualitative improvement in city’s roads at an estimated cost of around Rs. 400 crore.

Sources in the State Secretariat told The Hindu that this is the first time after nearly six years that major attention is being paid to road improvement. The previous such exercise was in 2000-01 under the Municipal Bonds Scheme against which there were serious complaints of misappropriation of funds. The bonds scheme to raise funds for roads improvement was floated by the J.H. Patel Government and was subsequently implemented by the S.M. Krishna Government.
Facelift

If Bangalore North is getting a tremendous boost in infrastructure works thanks to the need for a wide corridor to link the Bangalore International Airport, the Bangalore South jurisdiction of the BBMP, extending over nearly 100 sq km, is also receiving a comprehensive facelift with the authorities committed to improving all the roads, parks and public spaces. The programme has been set in motion in Bangalore South with several of the arterial roads having been asphalted and the others being taken up for improvement in phases. BBMP Commissioner S. Subramanya and Joint Commissioner (South) V. Yeshwant said that a full-fledged improvement of roads in Bangalore South is now in progress and of a length of 1,273 km of roads in the South, 330 km which require attention have been taken up.

What has upset the BBMP authorities has been the “callous manner” in which the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company have been digging up freshly rolled roads.

Dr. Subramanya and Mr. Yeshwant said all major and minor roads would be attended to in another three months. “All roads as such were more or less potholes-free following the aggressive measures taken up in August and September last.”

It has also been ensured that all roads will be as per the standards set by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and a new feature is the third party supervision of asphalting works. “The bills of the contractors will not be paid unless the third party approves the completed work,” he said. There was also a technical advisory committee (as suggested by the Karnataka High Court) which was monitoring the works. Some of the roads that have been asphalted were the East End Main Road linking the Hosur Road with Banashankari, Jayachamarajendra Road (JC Road), Bull Temple Road, Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road (Double Road) and parts of the Inner Ring Road.
Other roads

Next on the agenda to be taken up in a few weeks are the South End Circle Main Road (Fourth Main of Jayanagar), the main Lalbagh Road, Hosur Road linking NIMHANS with Lalbagh and Sirsi Circle-Chamrajpet Main Road. Work on the grade separator on Mysore Road to provide a signal-free approach to the Mysore Road from Vijayanagar is also expected to be completed soon.