Pipeline work inconveniences pedestrians, motorists

The digging of I G Road in Chikkamagaluru to lay pipelines under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme has been inconveniencing the motorists and pedestrians.

Amid the mounds of soil and debris, the pedestrians have to navigate the stretch with great difficulty.

School vehicles, timber lorries, trucks, autorickshaw, KSRTC buses travel on this stretch situated in the heart of the city.

The density of vehicles increases during the weekend. Majority of lodges, hotels, shops, commercial complexes and hospitals are also situated on the same stretch.

Parking of the vehicles has turned out to be a headache for the motorists. After the digging of the road for laying pipelines, the labourers have filled the pit haphazardly without taking any precautionary measures and have failed to level the area, which is affecting the movement of vehicles.

Children, senior citizens and patients struggle to cross the pit dug up by the labourers. The traffic has turned chaotic in the town.

Ejaz, a resident of Pais Compound said, “If the works are taken up in the night, then the problem would be reduced to some extent. The areas dug up for laying pipelines in the past have not yet been repaired.”

The parking areas are also dug up. The mounds of soil have been left unattended. As a result, we cannot park our vehicles, he said.

M N Latha, a housewife from Madhuvana Layout said, “The work was taken up 15 days ago. The contractor has failed to erect a warning board to inform the public about the work in progress. The movement of vehicles has been restricted in a few areas. The work should be accelerated.”

Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board Engineer Shilpa said that the additional works were taken up under the Amrut scheme.

“It will take 15 more days to complete the work. In the past, a contractor had left the work incomplete. Now, the pending works are being taken up. About 1,100 metre long pipelines are being laid. The work on laying 500 metre long pipelines has been completed,” she added.