Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council (File photo| EPS)
BENGALURU: Facing flak for poor road infrastructure and to ensure that funds under Amrut Nagarothana are not misused for digging the newly-asphalted roads, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)passed an order that agencies like BWSSB, Bescom and other OFC companies should not dig roads.
Speaking to TNIE, Palike’s Engineer-In-Chief BS Prahalad said that since a majority of sewage and power cable works have been completed and the civic body is going ahead with asphalting 2,000km of road, agencies have been informed that permission will not be given for road digging which might lead to road congestion and traffic.
“In case a road is found dug, and it causes congestion, then assistant executive engineers, junior engineers and assistant engineers concerned will be held responsible and disciplinary action will be taken against them,” he said.
After road construction, asphalting and reclamation works, if any road erosion is found the engineers concerned will be directly held responsible and they will not get approval for use of any grant from the corporation to cover road excavation cost, the order read.
All zonal chief engineers have been sent communication to inform their subordinates, said a senior BBMP official. Welcoming the move, mobility expert from II Sc, Ashish Verma said, “Road cutting and digging have multiple impacts. It slows down traffic, causes pollution in its surroundings, and might become a health hazard.
BBMP has done the right thing by asking all agencies not to cut roads,” he said. Meanwhile, BWSSB chairman N Jayaram said, “The board has taken up new work for water supply and sewage pipes since 2017. The work has been completed in almost all parts, and in case, anything is pending, BBMP will be consulted for necessary permission.”
