BENGALURU: Mysuru Road, one of the roads identified for white-topping by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, BBMP, is “completed” on paper. But its unfinished, jagged edges end at a one-feet drop because the road is at a level higher than its shoulder, and the edges have not been bevelled.
In 2016, the Palike had identified approximately 93.47 km of road to be white-topped at a cost of `800 crore. In fact, former CM Siddaramiah had wanted 500 km and his cabinet had approved 150 km last year. But, now the whole project is now being called a ‘white elephant’.
BBMP has decided to cover eight major roads under it, including the 5.4 km-long Mysuru Road (Kavika Junction to Briand Square).
Mysuru Road is one of the central roads in the city and, therefore, work on it is being taken up in halves. One side of the road is being barricaded for the work, while the other is left open.
BBMP officials claim that they have completed the first half of the road (the left half, from Kavika towards Briand Square). But, in reality, they have completed just the surface of the road. The five-feet-wide shoulder on one side, for utility lines such as for sewage and water supply, is a foot-lower than the road top and there are no barricades between the two levels. This is a risk for motorists especially those on two-wheelers.
Swaroopa Venkatesh, who is employed with a private firm and who travels through this stretch frequently, said, “It is a busy road and if someone slips over the abrupt edge, chances of being run over by a vehicle coming from behind are high”. At certain points along the edge, like near the Bharat Petroleum bunk, iron rods used for laying of the road stick out.
It is risky for pedestrians as well. Channappa, a retiree and resident of Timberyard Layout, said, “They have dumped construction material on the footpath and this forces people to walk on the road. Also, the utility space has been placed between the road and footpath, so it becomes difficult to cross the road”.
Shop owners along this stretch called these roads a nightmare to navigate. Mahesh, who runs a store on the road, said, “Last week, it was raining heavily and we did not know where the road ends and the lower, utility area begins. Atleast, a barricade must be placed”.
