It is pouring filthy water at this underpass

It is nothing less than a nightmarish experience for motorists taking the underpass at Nayandahalli.

BENGALURU: It is nothing less than a nightmarish experience for motorists taking the underpass at Nayandahalli. Whenever it rains, motorists have to make their way through a waterfall of sorts, which some motorists refer to as ‘Jog Falls’. Incidentally, this water comes from garbage dumped above the underpass.

Motorists make their way through
a ‘waterfall’ leaking from the
ceiling at Nayandahalli underpass

The underpass was constructed by Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and is being maintained by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

BDA constructed the six-lane underpass at Mysuru Road - Outer Ring Road junction in Nayandahalli and opened it to the public in 2010. This reduced the travel distance between Sumanahalli and Banashankari by 8km. It is a 30m-wide, 200m-long underpass from ORR to Mysuru Road.

In 2012, poor lighting inside the underpass caused a series of truck collisions, claiming a life. After this, the BDA authorities did make arrangements for lighting but unfortunately, most of the bulbs soon blew out. Today, the stretch is again back to being dimly lit.

Shravani P M, a resident of Nagarbhavi, said, “The stretch is poorly maintained. It is dark and it takes two minutes to just cross the underpass. It is scary to pass the area in the evening, let alone at night.” Shravani studies at PESIT, which is on ORR, Banashankari. Taking the underpass is the shortest route to her college.

Ravishankar, a retired bank employee, concurs. “I was riding a bike to JP Nagar with my wife. When we reached the other side of the tunnel, we saw water gushing from the ceiling. Since it is a one-way we could not take an alternate route. We were forced to take the underpass and ended up getting drenched. There should at least be some caution board,” he said.

Another motorist, Shivamadu, said the continuous seepage has resulted in potholes. “There is no proper lighting here. It is a nightmare for two-wheeler drivers who often tend to skid and fall. Also, trucks and other heavy vehicles keep passing through this underpass, causing further damage to the road,” he said.
While the public suffers, BBMP and BDA officials are busy blaming each other.  When contacted, K T Nagaraj, BBMP Chief Engineer (Major Roads), he blamed the BDA for poor quality of the underpass. “BDA authorities constructed the underpass in 2010. It was handed over to us only in 2014. The material used is poor and it has become difficult for us to maintain it. Whenever it rains, seepage results in a downpour,” he said.

On the other hand, BDA engineer-member P N Nayak blamed BBMP for this mess. “We constructed this and handed it over to them two-and-a-half years ago. BBMP dumps waste just above the underpass, where there is a drain that collects rainwater. With frequent dumping of waste, the drains are now blocked, resulting in seepage. We have told BBMP authorities many times to clear the waste and not to dump garbage here. However, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

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