BBMP's slow pace of work

The road connecting Lingarajapuram to Kammanahalli leading to the Outer Ring Road has been cut open right through the centre and has been in this state for more than three months. 

The road runs over the stormwater drain, which was clogged and required urgent repair. But, none of the government bodies did anything to inspect the drain until the road sunk and was about to cave in. This prompted the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to start work on reconstructing the stormwater drain and relaying the road thereafter. 

The work that started more than three months ago is yet to reach its completion stage and has unleashed a host of problems. It has not only cut off connectivity towards main areas like Kalyan Nagar but also affected the business of the many establishments in the vicinity. 

The travel time is now longer with people forced to take a detour to get across to the other end. If all this is not enough, the stretch is dark and unlit, which makes commuting for women and children unsafe. 

Metrolife interacted with the authorities, people who own business establishments and commuters to understand the problems they face. 

This stormwater drain is one among the many drains in the City that was poorly maintained until the BBMP undertook the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 47lakh. The authorities claim that the work will be completed in another month’s time.

Talking more about the project, M Lakshminarayana, BBMP commissioner, shares, “The stormwater drain had reached a choking point, which caused excessive flooding. So we have had to cut open the road and relay the entire drain. We are now expanding the width of the drain and the road will also be reconstructed to its original shape.” 

Lakshminarayana explains that this drain runs through Kacharakanahalli and Kammanahalli until it reaches the main drain at Hebbal. 

“The road work will be completed and thrown open to the public in less than a month but the drain work will take a little longer,” he adds.   

Every major project workin the City leaves behind a trail of problems and the scene is no different here. The business establishments in the vicinity, including petrol bunks, restaurants and mechanic shops, have incurred a loss of not less than 70 per cent after the drain worked commenced. 

Chandrashekar, a petrol bunk employee, says, “We used to open the bunk at 6 am but now, we don’t open until 8 am and people don’t stream in until 10 am. At night, we close early because of the lack of customers. We have lost 70 per cent of our business.” 
Christopher, a student of Narayana School in Lingarajapuram, says that he has to travel an additional two kilometres to reach school. 

“It is pitch dark near the drain after dusk and I am scared to take that stretch when I return home after tuitions. It is unsafe.” 

Even residents such as Jyothi, a housewife, who used to walk this stretch regularly, says she takes another route.  

“I agree with a lot of people when they say that this place is unlit and unsafe. It is important that even work sites are well lit not just the main roads,” she pitches in. Joseph Moses, who has been working as a car mechanic, in a small shop beside the drain, sums up, “I have been working here for 15 years now. It’s been a little over three months since the work started and most of our regular customers too have found more accessible places. We have lost a lot of business.”