Residents put to difficulty again

Residents put to difficulty again

Staff Reporter
Newly-laid road dug up for laying pipelines this time


EYESORE: Mounds of debris have piled up along the road in Sanjaynagar in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: Barely had they heaved a sigh of relief over the completion of the unduly prolonged asphalting work of their main road, when the residents of Sanjaynagar in the city were aghast to see the newly-laid road dug up again for laying pipelines.

The mounds of debris piled up along the road are not only an eyesore but also a source of inconvenience to the residents as well as the motorists passing through the Sanjaynagar Main Road which connects adjoining areas, including Hebbal, R.T. Nagar and RMV Extension.

“This road appears to be under repair forever. The work on this road never seems to end. It is a major problem for the general public as the traffic is diverted. Even the pedestrians are put to hardship as the pavements are covered in debris,” said Rama Mohan, a banker, who commutes through Sanjaynagar.

President of Residents’ Association of Sanjaynagar V. Sathyamurthy recalled that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had taken up road work on this stretch more than two-and-a-half years ago. “But, the contractor had carried out a shoddy job. We had to approach the Lokayukta after which the lapses were set right. This led to a more than a year-long delay in the completion of the project. Now, a little over a year after the asphalting work has been completed, the road has been dug up again, this time by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) apparently for laying underground pipes of a larger diameter,” he said.

A frustrated Mr. Sathyamurthy chose to describe the BWSSB and BBMP “digging agencies” and wondered why there cannot be co-ordination between the two agencies before taking up such projects so that the public can be put to minimum inconvenience.

Though the BWSSB officials claimed that they took up the work after holding a co-ordination meeting between the officials of the two wings, Mr. Sathyamurthy is not convinced. For, the portion of the dug up road, where the pipeline has been laid, is yet to be filled up. “Can’t they asphalt the portion of the road where BWSSB’s work has been completed? We fear that they will leave it unattended,” he said.

However, BBMP officials promised to begin asphalting the road soon after the pipes are laid by end of the November. But, BWSSB officials said the work on laying the pipelines is expected to continue till January 2010.