Digging themselves into a hole

Thanks to the repair work going on everywhere in the City, heaps of mud are dumped on the sides of dug-up roads and footpaths. While in many areas, the BBMP has cleared the mess after finishing the work, in some however, the work remains incomplete.

Bangaloreans say that certain areas need to be repaired immediately as the dust and dirt cause a problem to pedestrians. 

One such place is near the Ejipura Signal, which the authorities had dug up almost three months back to lay new pipes and mend the footpath. However, the place is still in a mess. “Construction materials like stone chips and concrete have been dumped near the footpath. Not only is it completely broken, it also blocks the way to the bus stand.

 Pedestrians have to walk on the road instead of the footpath and it is really dangerous during peak hours as motorists don’t have the patience to wait and give way,” says Subhash, who commutes through that stretch.

However, the authorities say that they are trying to repair the footpaths and drains and that work is going on in full swing. 

“We are working on the roads, footpaths and drains simultaneously. Hence, residents can see the road being dug up everywhere. It will take us time to finish the work and we are trying to complete it as fast as possible,” explains Somashekhar, the chief engineer of road infrastructure, BBMP.

The BWSSB authorities agree that they have laid new pipes in several areas. Yet, they rue that they have levelled the uneven spots in the area as soon as the work is finished.Pallavi, a resident of Bellandur, says that the authorities started laying pipes in her area in January and the work was completed only a few days back.

“They had dug up a huge stretch and heaps of mud were lying on the side of the road for a long time. There was a lot of dust throughout the stretch as well. We are relieved that the work is over,” she says.

The Fort Road near Minerva Circle is also in a bad shape as the BWSSB has not restored the road after laying down the pipes. The work around the Sony World Signal in Koramangala is over but heaps of mud and waste can be seen piled up everywhere on that stretch. 

Rashi, a young professional who lives in the area, says that the dust has added to the already high level of pollution on that stretch. “There are small heaps of mud almost everywhere from Raheja Arcade to the Sony World Signal. The dust is unbearable and it’s very difficult to tolerate the pollution,” she sums up.