BENGALURU: With no lights, vehicles crisscrossing everywhere, people falling down due to lack of barricades, no signages, incomplete island work and with new commuters having no clue of where to turn, Doddanekundi flyover has turned into a nightmare for residents.
Residents say there is complete apathy from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) engineers. They claim to have tried in all possible ways for the past 18 months to bring in some basic civic infrastructure at the grade level. But they failed despite spending days and weeks coordinating with all government offices.
Clement Jayakumar, a member of residents’ group Whitefield Rising and a resident of Doddanekundi said, “This is a BDA flyover construction site. From the past five to six months, we have been running from pillar to post to get the work done, but in vain. We are struggling to convince officials of BDA and other government departments like Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). While the flyover is done, around the flyover at the grade level, the stormwater drainage work, the tarring of the roads, completion of the work below the flyover, lighting etc has been pending for almost six months now.”
Recently, because of the rains, the road was inundated between the two flyovers — Mahadevapura and Marathahalli.“One of the challenges we are facing is that BDA keeps passing the buck to BESCOM, but around 70 per cent of the work can be done immediately. To complete the work on a 750 metre stretch, they are waiting for work that is being done by BESCOM on 20 metres of the stretch. BESCOM was supposed to complete the work on March 15 but it is already June first week and only 50 per cent of the work has been done,” Clement said.
Residents say that levelling of the service road can be done by the BDA without waiting for other civic agencies from Kabab Magic eatery to Rainbow Children’s hospital down ramp on the left. Island work completion and removal of all debris under the flyover on the right, and the same work on the left from EMC2 to Goshala road can also be done, residents said.
Levelling of the road with wet mix is also pending on the service road from Rainbow Children’s Hospital down ramp to Kabab Magic. Ensuring streetlights are working and all around the flyover is also a pending task as the commuters find it hard to navigate inundated roads at night. Commute isn’t easy even when it does not rain.
Complete tarring of the BRTS lane is also pending. Lights and one-way signages at the round about are also missing. A high-rise concrete guiding median on both ends of the flyover and reflective signages are also missing.
Suresh TL, assistant executive engineer, BDA, said, “This has been the case from the past two years. Until BESCOM shifts its electric poles, we cannot do anything. Even BWSSB has to work on its pipelines. We have brought it to their notice, they will complete it in 15 days.”