JOIN USWhen it rains, the problems of pedestrians and motorists just seem to get bigger and bigger. To begin with, one is greeted by fallen barricades across the City, which not only narrow the roads but pose a threat to motorists. To add to the misery, potholes filled with water continue to trap motorists. Caught between cesspools and barricades, Bengalureans dread using the roads whenever it rains and the solution seems to be nowhere in sight.
In such a scenario, the claims of BBMP, BWSSB and the Bengaluru Traffic Police virtually stand exposed. It’s time the traffic police took measures to prevent the barricades from falling or removed them to allow smooth flow of traffic.
Alphonsa, a teacher with Sophia High School who lives in RT Nagar, explains how harrowing it is on the roads when it rains. “Traffic management by the police is at its worst when it rains. There are only a handful of policemen on the roads to manage a large number of vehicles. I am always at the risk of losing my balance on the bike,” she says.
BWSSB has been talking about desilting manholes but most manholes are filled up and overflowing. Steevan, a professional who moves around on a bike, points out that a pothole filled with water is like a death trap of sorts. “It is better to use a boat within the City and row your way around rather than riding or driving when it rains. The manholes overflow and I've noticed that there’s no outlet for the water to get drained. It’s clogged everywhere,” he observes. He feels the authorities aren’t doing enough to ensure motorists have a smooth ride.
When the rains are heavy, not only the roads but the pedestrian paths too are filled with water. Shefali Sharma, an employee at the UB City on Vittal Mallya Road, says she takes at least 45 minutes or more to wade through water to get to St Mark’s Road, where she parks her car. “I can’t differentiate between the road and the pedestrian path. The chances of slipping and falling are always there. There’s no outlet for the water. This only shows poor planning,” she adds.
Traffic management during rains is no doubt a challenge for traffic personnel who are perpetually short-staffed. Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) MA Saleem says he has asked all traffic personnel in traffic stations across the City to be present on the roads whenever it rains. Talking about fallen barricades posing a risk to motorists, he says, “Barricades are only a temporary solution. We have identified 25 crucial roads across the City and sent a proposal to the BBMP to build medians on these stretches. So until the medians are constructed, we have to go with the barricades,” he states.
Most of the roads across the City are in a pathetic state and the BBMP attributes this to the pending road projects. S Somashekar, chief engineer, road infrastructure, BBMP, states the example of bad state of roads on Church Street and says, “The BWSSB has dug up Church Street so many times for the replacement of underground pipeline. This road has been tendered out for repair and reconstruction. All damaged roads in the City fall under some road work project and will be repaired by the end of the year. The BBMP is trying to make the roads motorable by doing whatever little patchwork they can until the main road projects get implemented, he adds.