BBMP blames BWSSB for bad state of road

BBMP blames BWSSB for bad state of road

Staff Reporter
Commuters suffer as arterial stretches worsen by the day
— Photo: K. Gopinathan

DEVELOPMENT HINDRANCE: A stretch of the Old Madras Road near Ulsoor Gurudwara in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: Woes of residents of Old Madras Road continue as the potholes seem to be growing bigger and deeper by the day with no remedial measures being taken by the authorities concerned.

The stretch leading to the Ulsoor Gurudwara has taken a turn for the worse, forcing traffic to slow down. The road was made a two-way and a median was erected, constricting it and creating bottlenecks.

“A part of the road is always being dug up near the Madras Sapper’s gate and as the road has seen a sudden increase in traffic, one is sure to be stalled there,” says Vijay N., a frequent commuter.

The other badly maintained stretch is along the metro site. Apart from painfully slowing down traffic, especially during peak hours, the project appears to have contributed significantly to the road’s deterioration.

“With heavy transport vehicles [including those involved with the project such as bulldozers and cranes] at any given point through the day, it urgently needs to be given a facelift,” says Sudheendran, a resident of Indiranagar.

However, sources in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagra Palike (BBMP) attributed the state of affairs to constant works undertaken by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). “They are laying water pipes in various parts of the road,” said a BBMP engineer.

He said the BWSSB work was crucial to ensure water supply to residences and places of worship on the road, which suffered some major pipe leaks. He said it would be better to asphalt the road after the BWSSB finished its work. “By next week, after all the pipes are laid, we will asphalt the road completely,” he said.