BENGALURU: For five long years, residents of Kodigehalli waited patiently as civic authorities dragged their feet on an underpass project in the area. Essential to cut down on travel time to Virupakshapura, Sahakarnagar and surrounding areas, the underpass was finally opened early last month. But the joy did not last long.
Almost within two weeks of the opening, the underpass was waterlogged when the city received a spell of good showers. Water continues to stagnate at the underpass, three weeks later, making it unpassable for motorists.
Now, keeping in mind the approaching monsoons, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has finally taken up the task of clearing the vital link. According to officials, the problem occurred due to two main drains near the underpass not being desilted. “This was a major issue as rainwater could not be evacuated through these drains due to the silt. These drains are also not sufficient to handle large volumes of rainwater which flushes back and stagnates at the underpass,” a BBMP official said.
The focus now is to desilt the drains and hope that this will be enough for the monsoon. “The underpass is a low-lying area and chances of water-logging are more. If the drains are cleared, we hope that there wouldn’t be any problem for commuters,” the official said.Officials have also asked local level workers to keep an eye on the underpass. “They will be on high alert and people will pump out water immediately if
it rains.”
Residents and motorists however are not impressed. “The whole project is an utter failure. It should have been executed by the Railways but the BBMP did the work. There was an outflow line which was laid earlier but was not maintained, leading to the blockage. Now, they want to redo it. It is a disaster,” said KN Jagadeesh Kumar, an advocate and resident of Kodigehalli.
According to Reema Iyer, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, many motorists did not even get a chance to use the underpass. “It was supposed to ease traffic congestion in the area but we are yet to commute on this route. After seeing the water stagnation, we have lost all hope for the project.”