Chaos will continue for a few more days

Chaos will continue for a few more days
DH News Service, Bangalore:
After all the traffic jams, public inconvenience and several manhours of intense work, the underground storm-water drain work using pre-cast magic boxes on Residency Road has left a big hump on the busy road...


Minister for Urban Administration S Suresh Kumar, apparently irked by the incovenience, blamed the civic agencies for carrying out work in an haphazard manner. Hump on the road looked awkward add the height should have been reduced, the minister said, taking the officials to task for the shoddy work that costs extra now.

It was clear that the magic boxes had increased the height of the road at the repair spot by almost three feet. A hotel and other business establishments beside the road, were now three to four feet below the road.

The business establishments had approached the Palike to escape from floods during rains. But with the new design, the problem has only aggravated.

The minister told mediapersons after visiting the spot that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bangalore Mahanagara Transport Corporation (BMTC) had a communication gap. “On inspecting the works in different parts of the City, I realised that there is lack of co-ordination between the BBMP, the BDA and the BMTC.”

The magic boxes were likely to be dug out once again which would mean continued traffic woes for the commuters.

To a question, the minister said there was no dearth of experts in the BBMP, the BDA, the BMRDA or the BWSSB, but there was dearth of good advice.

The officers do not talk to each other but they talk about each other, he said. He instructed the officials to consider the opinions of the public representatives on implementing the project.

Yeswanthpur flyover

Suresh Kumar said the Yeshwanthpur flyover and the underpass at Vijayanagar would be completed by February next year.

The Minister visited Yeshwanthpur flyover, Agrahara Dasarahalli slum area, Vijayanagar toll gate, Vijayanagar TTMC, Mysore Road Gaali Anjaneya, Kalyani slum, Residency Road, Cubbon Park and Khanija Bhavan.

He said the hi-tech bus stop coming up at Yeshwanthpura ata cost of Rs 79 crore will be completed by 2010. About the Vijayanagar Underpass, the minister said though the work was delayed, it would pick up pace since the metro rail project was soon to commence work there.

The Minister admitted that the flyover near the Gaali Anjaneya temple had been delayed by two years. He said that on November 23, the Chief Minister would be laying the foundation stone of the residential building with 210 houses for the slum dwellers at Agrahara Dasarahalli.

TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS WILL BE IN FORCE

With the BBMP repair work on Residency road expected to continue for some more days, the city traffic police have made certain changes:

* Vehicles coming from Prof Ashirwadam circle and moving towards Mayo Hall must come to HM Towers and take a left turn to proceed towards Mayo Hall on Residency Road.

*Vehicles from Ashirwadam circle can also move on Magarath Road to reach either D'Souza circle by taking a right turn at Garuda Mall or proceed straight towards Hosmat hospital.

*Vehicles from Mayo Hall moving towards Garuda Mall can either go straight to D'Sourza circle or take a left turn at Garuda Mall and reach Hosmat circle.

*Vehicles coming from D'Souza Circle towards Garuda Mall can take a free right turn at Garuda junction and proceed towards Hosmat circle.

*Traffic coming from Cauvery arts and crafts circle towards Brigade road must take compulsory left turn towards Bangalore Central or Residency Road.

RS 90 LAKH DRAIN

Encouraged by the ‘magic’ underpass near Cauvery Theatre, the BBMP authorities had used the same technology for the storm water drain at Residency Road. The drain was to cover a distance of around 118 feet. The storm water drain was to be laid between the pre-cast square boxes to minimise the risk of road caving in. The total cost of the project was Rs 90 lakhs. A total of 22 magic boxes were to be used.