Outer Ring Road to get a facelift

Outer Ring Road to get a facelift
By: Chetan R
Date: 2008-12-18

Bangalore:

READY FOR MAKEOVER: Marathalli-Sarjapur Outer Ring Road
Outer Ring Road Companies Association will soon launch an initiative to spruce up the Marathalli-Sarjapur stretch

ORRCA is now embarking on a new project to spruce up and beautify the outer Ring Road stretch.

Outer Ring Road Companies Association, or ORRCA, will landscape Marathalli-Sarjapur Outer Ring Road, as part of their voluntary services. They will work on weekends to beautify the stretch along the lines of the initiative successfully implemented near Dairy Circle Flyover.

"We will strive to bring back the lost charm," said Vishwanathan, manager AOL and president ORRCA. "We, along with infrastructure experts, will take up this initiative," he added.

A fresh, new look

The association decided this after a meeting with BDA officials about the infrastructure development on the stretch, where leading IT companies including AOL, Accenture and Symphony are located.

ORRCA, an association comprising 15 such companies will beautify the stretch with lawns and artificial water falls at the junctions. They will also plant saplings on both sides of the stretch and along the divider on the Outer Ring Road, which lost its greenery after BDA started the Ring Road project.

The association decided to take up the initiative as the BDA officials did not show any interest in the project.

"The officials said it can be taken up only after the service road construction work along the stretch is completed," said Vishwanathan. "It'll be too late and we can't wait for them as the stretch is in a horrible state. So, we have decided to take it up by ourselves."

Environment and infrastructure experts like M N Srihari and A N Yellappa Reddy will also join hands with ORRCA for the project.

Forest department officials have assured them saplings, besides other assistance.

The techies are preparing a plan for the landscape and the work is expected to begin by the first week of January.

ORRCA is also planning to hire about 30 wardens to maintain and look after the stretch. The members of the organisation will bear the cost for the entire initiative.

Employees of the companies located on the stretch have welcomed the move and are all praises for the initiative. "We will certainly support the initiative. We welcome ORRCA's move as it will make the stretch more appealing and add to the city's green," said Shankar Prasad, a techie working with one of the companies.