From bad to worse

From bad to worse
G Manjusainath, Bangalore, Aug 27, DHNS:

Looks like the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s drive against illegal road humps has done more harm than good, for now there are uneven surfaces in place of road humps.

Following complaints about illegal and unscientific road humps that were leading to accidents and damaging vehicles, the BBMP launched a drive to remove them.

BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah instructed that road humps be constructed in a scientific way and only where there was a need like proximity to schools, hospitals, major shopping junctions and government offices. He directed the officials to construct high-rise pedestrian crossings, paint them with luminescence paints and put cat-eye reflectors to alert motorists.

However, the task was executed so shabbily that dangerous grooves and uneven surfaces have emerged on roads across Bangalaore. Repairing of roads were also not undertaken and the recent spell of rains washed away the tar leaving behind grooves that assumed the shape of craters, posing an even bigger threat to commuters.

An example

The road from Konankunte Cross to Kengeri had many illegal road humps. But now, after their removal uneven roads have emerged. While the contractors who tarred the roads have no qualms as these uneven surfaces are doing the same job as that of the road humps, residents’ welfare associations are angry about the substandard works carried out by the BBMP.

Wing Commander M R Shirazi of Langford Town Residents’ Welfare Association complained that in his area the road humps were not levelled properly after removal and the BBMP filled the roads with mud.

Same is the case at J P Nagar 7th Phase near Brigade Millennium. An annoyed Ananthapadmanabha of J P Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) complained that the status of the road remained the same even after a month.

Hamsa Govind Raj of Domlur RWA holds the “nexus” between contractors and BBMP engineer responsible for the poor shape of roads. She remarked that the damage to the roads were done intentionally so that repair works could be carried out every now and then. When Commissioner Siddaiah was contacted in this regard, he said he would look into the matter.