Huge craters, uneven surface, loose crushed stones, missing pavements and incessant movement of vehicles… all this on Dinnur Main Road, one of the arterial roads in R.T. Nagar.
This important link between R.T. Nagar and Kaval Byrasandra has deteriorated over several months, much to the chagrin of local residents and motorists.
K. Krishnamurthy, a shop owner, said though the road had been in a deplorable state for months, authorities concerned had not even bothered to fill the potholes. “The road has not been asphalted in at least two years. Only patchwork was taken up last year; even that is wearing thin now.”
He said that the poor road condition caused many accidents. It is particularly harrowing for two-wheeler riders, who almost get pushed to the side of the road by heavy vehicles, he added.
Thankless task
Another shopkeeper, Abdul Subhan, has been doing his bit to prevent accidents by filling potholes. “Just a few days ago, I spent around Rs. 2,000 to fill the huge craters in front of my shop. However, the filling doesn’t last, given the heavy traffic.”
He claimed that neither R. Jagadeesh Kumar, Hebbal MLA, nor the local councillor, Fousia Begum, had paid heed to their problems. “For nearly a month, the footpath stones were removed and dumped on the side of the road. While the slabs have been replaced, the contractors have not cleared silt from the drains below. We fear that this will lead to flooding the next time it rains,” he said.
The worst stretch of the road is in front of White House apartments. The stretch was earlier dug up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to replace the sanitary pipeline. The road, which was riddled with potholes, has completely deteriorated now, so much that nearly 100 metres of the road is filled with crushed stones.
“I try to avoid this road, as I fear wear and tear of my vehicle. It takes nearly half-an-hour to cover the two-km stretch,” remarked Venkatesh M., an autorickshaw driver.
Blame game
Krishna Swamy, BBMP’s Chief Engineer (East zone), said that other than the potholes, the pipeline repair by the BWSSB had caused the road to deteriorate further.
Ms. Begum’s husband Wajid, who spoke to The Hindu on her behalf, said a package for the comprehensive development of arterial roads in Hebbal constituency and neighbouring constituencies for Rs. 30 crore had been approved by the BBMP council. The work order had also been issued.
“The contractor is dilly-dallying to take up the project. The package includes pothole filling, drain repair, footpath improvement and road asphalting,” Mr. Wajid said.
