BENGALURU: With several roads having been dug up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) as well as by Smart City Limited of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the work is likely to extend for another three months or more.
The roads have been dug up for pipeline replacement, Namma Metro work, Smart City projects, and laying underground electricity cables, making it difficult for commuters as well as worsening the city’s traffic situation.
The BBMP has a road network of nearly 13,000 km, including 1,400 km of major roads. “The work has not gone as per our timeline considering the pandemic which has affected everything. Our challenge right now is mobilisation as we are short of labourers and several of our officers have tested COVID positive. We are hoping that the work will get completed within the next three months,” said Hepshiba Rani, managing director of Smart City Ltd. The road work had begun in February and continued even during the lockdown period.
The BWSSB is also undergoing a similar dilemma with shortage of labourers. However, the Board’s Chairman N Jayaram told The New Indian Express that pipeline work had to be done in major areas of the city. “Each of the roads which have been dug up has a time frame of one week. For some of the roads, we have asked the BBMP to help with restoration work,” he said.
BBMP Mayor M Gowtham Kumar’s ward in Jogupalya has had its roads dug up for over six months. Rs 3.13 crores has been given to the BBMP for road restoration. Another Rs 88 crores has been allocated for road work in the 110 villages under the BBMP and another Rs 30.72 lakhs for Pulikeshi Nagar, Ulsoor and Benson Town which will be done by the BWSSB itself.