BWSSB does it again on Raj Bhavan Road

BWSSB does it again on Raj Bhavan Road

Y Maheswara ReddyFirst Published : 20 Apr 2010 05:08:00 AM IST
BANGALORE: If the latest incident, where a portion of the Raj Bhavan Road caved in on Monday is anything to go by, it seems more such incidents are likely to take place in the city during the monsoon.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which dug the roads at many places in Bangalore to lay new pipelines, is yet to learn how to lessen the burden of the traffic police.
The replacement of the old pipe with a new one on Old Madras Road is not progressing as expected. One has to wait for more than 20 minutes just to pass a few hundred metres (from Bailanjaneya Temple to Indirangar Bus Depot). At Trinity Circle, the pipe laying work is yet to be completed. The Cubbon Road portion of the road is yet to be asphalted.
Surprisingly, the officials are not sure how to prevent such deficiencies in the future, especially during the monsoon.
Last week, a BMTC bus and a Qualis were stranded near Minsk Square when a portion of the road caved in due to the BWSSB's negligence, that had dug the road to lay the new water pipeline.
“I expected the BWSSB officials to learn a lesson from the incident but in vain,” said S. Anilkumar, a two-wheeler owner. Vehicles move at snail’s pace opposite to the main gate of GPO because of the damage to the particular portion. B A Muthanna, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic - East) said, "There is also a water leakage on the other side of the road. We have informed the authorities to take up the repair work”.
However, the BBMP’s Chief Engineer T N Chikkarayappa said that it was the duty of the BWSSB to fill the gap with sufficient material after laying the water pipes. “There will be no problems if the BWSSB authorities use proper material to fill the gaps. Relaying the road is the responsibility of the BWSSB,” he said.
According to the standard specifications, authorities have to fill the gap with mud up to the surface level of the water pipe. Sand should be put on the surface of the pipe to ensure cushioning to the water pipe and the place should be asphalted after that.
“The BWSSB engineers are not following the specifications while filling up the gaps,” said a traffic police inspector. BWSSB Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu assured to instruct the BWSSB officials to take up the repair works immediately.