Magic boxes no sleight-of-hand

Magic boxes no sleight-of-hand


Damaged road at Sanjaynagar in Bangalore on Monday.
Faiza HaneefFirst Published : 13 Oct 2009 04:41:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 13 Oct 2009 07:47:01 AM IST
BANGALORE: Cracks and ditches are beginning to appear in some of the underpasses and flyovers in the city, even though they are relatively new.
Thanks to the pre-cast technology held on to by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) without setting ample time before allowing new constructions for public use, the projects are subject to disrepair and mending frequently.
“To keep up the pace of work, the Palike is compromising on the quality of work. After the inauguration of the underpasses on Bellary Road, the Palike has taken up repair work and are covering up the potholes and other cracks that appeared immediately, few days after the underpasses were open to the traffic,” said Moin Khan, a resident of Dollars Colony.
The new underpasses and magic boxes planned and built across the city lack quality finishing. The underpass at the Cauvery theatre junction after its inauguration last year has undergone re-coating for more than three times already and the road is not a smooth passage yet.
The BDA junction underpass was asphalted over and over after its inauguration last year. Recently, the uneven patch of the Sanjaynagar underpass led to a crater on its surface, causing inconvenience to the motorists. The road was blocked and the potholes were covered.
There are also instances of water leakage beneath these underpasses and complaints of underground drains overflowing, especially after heavy rains.
These problems beg proper planning and priority given to the quality of work. BBMP, which faces severe criticism from the public, continues to use the the modern, pre-cast technology as against the conventional methods.
“The pre-cast element technology is no doubt good for the infrastructure projects and there is no compromise on the quality of work,” said a senior BBMP official. “There were initial hiccups but now, we have overcome all those problems and will continue with this technology. The issue is not the technology but the time we give for the work to settle,” he added, stressing the need to give time for the rehabilitation of new constructions before being opened for public use.
“On highways, there are possibilities to divert the traffic but within city limits, it is highly impossible. With no alternate roads to divert the traffic, we do not get enough time to protect the roads, which is must after any construction work,” he said.