Skating rink under busy flyovers? Baffling ‘beautification’ plan stuns citizens

The BBMP has already started building pathways and toilets under the Sivananda Circle flyover. Credit: Special arrangement

Even as roads crumble and potholes blossom at every third intersection, the BBMP’s attention seems to have turned to vacant spaces underneath flyovers.

The civic body is preparing to splurge Rs 10.46 crore to give a theme-based makeover to vacant spaces under Sivananda Circle, Sumanahalli and Anand Rao Circle flyovers, and a place closer to the BHEL office in Vijayanagar. It is funded by the chief minister’s Amrut Nagarothana programme, according to the BBMP’s projects cell.

The BBMP floated a short-term tender last week to carry out the work, fixing November 5 as the last date to submit the bids. The civic body has listed 180 items in the scope of work.

A BBMP official said the proposal to beautify the vacant places beneath the flyovers was conceived as they looked ugly.

“The Sivananda Circle will have a skating rink and basketball court. We are planning to display Channapatna toys at Vijayanagar Circle. The stretch below the Anand Rao Circle flyover will be beautified by providing seating arrangements for passengers who assemble in big numbers,” the official explained.

In some places, the civic body has also planned to utilise the vacant spots by providing a basketball board, a football goalpost, an aluminum table tennis board, a surfing board, rope ladders, etc. Maintenance of roads leading to these four junctions is also part of the project.

‘Any logic in this?’

Shopkeepers doing business near Sivananda Circle questioned the rationale behind planning board games, a basketball court and an outdoor gym area under the flyover. “It’s a congested area. No planning agency comes up with such proposals right in the middle of the road. There are two parks where these sporting facilities could have been introduced,” one of them said.

Others felt the cost of providing a makeover at four junctions was too high.

N R Ramesh, president of the BJP’s Bangalore South unit, called the expenditure “unjustifiable”.

Work begins before tendering

Much to the traders’ surprise, the BBMP has already started building pathways and toilets under the Sivananda Circle flyover before finalising tenders.

This is seen as a serious breach of the standard operating procedure (SoP) since it defeats the purpose of floating tenders, expected to be fair and competitive.

The BBMP said it is only doing the preliminary work and has not done anything mentioned in the tender document.