Sewage line work on JC Road messes up traffic

The ongoing sewage line laying work at busy JC Road by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) has severely affected the traffic from South Bengaluru to City centre.

The situation is far worse during the peak hour as vehicles stand bumper to bumper till Sajanrao Circle and Lalbagh West Gate.

As if the mountain of debris on the wayside is not enough, the recent rains have wreaked havoc on two-wheel riders. The Heavy Transport Vehicles (HTVs), for their part, kick up massive amount of dust.

“Normally, during the peak hour, we use to take at least 45 minutes to reach the Town Hall junction from Sajjanrao Circle. Now, as the work occupies half the road, traffic comes to a standstill sometimes,” an LIC agent Kailesh Rajashekar told DH.

“Since there’s no alternative routes to get around the Corporation, traffic from Hosur road and other South Bengaluru areas pass through this road.

“The situation was extremely bad the day after the city received rains. I’m sure some of the two-wheeler riders would’ve skidded on the wet surface,” Rajashekar added.

Poor traffic management by the Bengaluru Traffic Police Minerva Junction to Town hall has irked the commuters as the area’s car decors occupy the other side of the road.

Girinagar resident Rajani Krupakar said: “We’ve asked the police to remove the cars parked for the modification several times. They only gave lame excuses. We’ve to bear the brunt of (their decision). We can’t raise our voices against the car décor owners.”

BWSSB’s chief engineer Nithyananda Kumar assured that the sewage line work from VV Puram to JC Road will be over in the next 20 days.

“I’ve ordered the assistant engineer and the contractor to ensure that the work isn’t affecting the commuters. I’ll once again visit the spot and check the project,” Kumar added.

Additional Commissioner of Police-Traffic P Harishekaran vowed to conduct a special drive in the area to make sure it is clear. “I’ll also order the police personnel at the locality to ensure smooth movement of traffic and take strict action against the encroachers. I’ll ask them to take the help of the crime department if necessary,” Harishekaran added.