Vizag follows Bengaluru in adopting TenderSURE roads

The Andhra Pradesh port city of Visakhapatnam has decided to go the Bengaluru way to develop TenderSURE roads.

The port city, known famously as the Jewel of East Coast, is taking Bengaluru's TenderSURE model as a case study to solve the pothole menace on the roads.

The TenderSURE model provides separate ducts along the streets to lay water, power, sanitary lines and also gas pipelines. This would prevent the road from being dug frequently and improve its durability.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has implemented the TenderSURE model in St Mark's Road, Residency Road, Church Street and Museum Road.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL) has done a detailed study on the issues concerning roads and how they can be solved. The problems include lack of space for the physically challenged, unequal lane distribution, priority for speeding vehicles over pedestrian safety and inaccessible footpaths.

The proposed model includes reduction of lane widths from 3.5m to 3.2m to provide more space for pedestrians, separate ducts for utilities, and street furniture, among others.

Swati Ramanathan, founder of Janaagraha, a non-government organisation that is associated with urban local corporations to develop the TenderSURE model said: "The Ministry of Urban Development has introduced TenderSURE as the best practice for municipal projects spearheading under 'Smart Roads'."

Cities like Davanagere and Nagpur are also including the model keeping Bengaluru as the case study since the project was first implemented here.

Speaking about the project, a senior BBMP official said: "The condition of the roads were deteriorating earlier as they were dug up multiple times either to lay power lines or cables or to repair water pipes. The TenderSURE model solves these issues."

K T Nagaraj, BBMP chief engineer, road infrastructure projects, said no one came for consultation from Visakhapatnam.

Vishal Kundra from GVSCCL told Deccan Herald that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu initiated the foundation-laying ceremony for the Smart City project on Thursday, and this would be a good start for the improvement of infrastructural facilities in the state.