It's a bumpy ride below Metro

Roads along the elevated stretch of the rail route in bad shape in several parts

“Do these people understand our plight? Should roads be in pathetic condition till they complete the project? Don’t they understand it is their duty to ensure better condition of the roads they have occupied for the project?” question residents.

Road users’ plight

Residents of Magadi Road, Vijaynagar, Gayatrinagar, West of Chord Road, Yeshwantpur, Jayanagar, Kanakapura Road termed their experience of using the roads under the elevated platform a “traumatic one”.

Prof S L Narendra of Sheshadripuram Independent PU College on Magadi Road said the road in front of his college had virtually disappeared.

“Potholes, dust from mud stretches, heaps of stones and abandoned construction materials have made it hell for users of Magadi Road. Shop owners and vegetable vendors use the road under the elevated platform as a garbage dumping yard. The entire area stinks and none from the BBMP or the BMRCL is looking into this,” he complained.

The residents’ plight on Mahakavi Kuvempu Road at Navarang Circle, Gayatrinagar and Harischandra Ghat is similar.

The BMRCL has completed work on certain stretches, but has failed to remove the barricades and construction debris. A bakery owner at Navrang Circle says the appeals made by local residents to the local corporator and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar to clear the roads had fallen on deaf ears.

The situation is no better on Chord Road in Vijaynagar where the BMRCL has completed nearly 80 per cent of the work on the elevated platform. Potholes were filled a month ago near the entrance of Mysore Road, but the condition of the road is back to normal due to lack of proper maintenance.

Nearly half a kilometre stretch from Attiguppe bus stop to Maruti Mandir is full of   stones and heaps of mud. Nobody has bothered to asphalt the road. Corporators simply make assurances and forget them quickly, the residents alleged.

The residents of Jayanagar, JP Nagar, Kanakapura Road and Yeshvanthpur echoed similar views and demanded that the BMRCL and the BBMP work in tandem to improve the situation.

“As per the agreement between the Palike and the BMRCL, the Palike should restore the road to meet the Metro Rail standard once the work on a particular reach is complete.

Accordingly, we restored the roads between MG Road and Baippanahalli recently.
As per the understanding, it is the BMRCL’s primary responsibility to fill potholes and maintain the roads under elevated platforms till the work on a particular reach gets over.

The BMRCL has started the work to fill up the potholes. If  BMRCL fails to do it, then the BBMP will take up the work and maintain the roads, ”  BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah told Deccan Herald. BMRCL top brass were not available for comment.