Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is at it again. The utility’s ongoing project of replacing underground sanitary pipes in and around Nanjappa Circle in Shanthinagar here has become a sore point for the residents and road users.
Traffic jams and frequent accidents have become the order of the day in the area. But this is not the only hazard that BWSSB’s slow-paced work is causing. The debris-filled roads are choking people with dust.
When The Hindu spoke to the residents of the area, they said that the BWSSB was “unnecessarily delaying” the work and urged the authorities to speed it up as it was causing inconvenience to them. Lixsin Abraham, who works in Shanthinagar, spoke about the dangers the uneven road was causing. “There is so much debris and mud on the road that there are frequent accidents. Last week, I saw a girl on a scooter fall as she lost balance,” he said.
Priya A., a student of a school in Shanthinagar, said that there were two schools in the locality. She added that most students had to walk back home covering their faces as there was a lot of dust in the area.
Residents, including M. Ramu, a gardener, complained that the BWSSB was not taking up the work on priority basis.
Nupur Banerjee, a schoolteacher, who acknowledged that there was a need to replace the sanitary pipes, said, “We are fed up with the delay in the work. They keep digging up places and do not even lay the pipes. There is a need to speed up the work.”
Responding to this, a BWSSB official said that pipe replacement was necessary as water was getting contaminated owing to the old, and damaged sanitary pipes.
He also pointed out that the project deadline was in June. “We have various restrictions as we have to get clearances for the work. However, we will try to complete the work soon,” he added.
