Bengaluru
The 100-feet road at Vajarahalli in Hemmigepura (ward 198) that was asphalted just two months ago has now developed potholes, causing inconvenience to the public. This is one of the busiest roads in the area as it links Kanakapura road to Mysuru road. This has led to citizens alleging shoddy work by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
About 3 km stretch of this road, which also connects Banashankari 6th stage, has failed to withstand even moderate spells of monsoon rains, flagging alleged substandard work carried out by the development agency. In at least in four to five spots, the road has chipped off putting the lives of commuters in danger. Another major problem is waterlogging.
Citizens have alleged shoddy work by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) after newly asphalted road at Vajarahalli develops potholes in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: HANDOUT E MAIL
Absence of proper drainage system, sub-par asphalting
Every time it rains, multiple patches on this stretch see waterlogging making it difficult for motorists to move. They have to wade through the road riddled with potholes risking their life. Besides substandard road works, residents allege that the BDA has not provided inlets to drains in some places. In a few areas, there are no shoulder drains at all. With no place for the rainwater to go, it accumulates on the road.
Vajapeyam Srivatsa, talking to The Hindu wondered how the city’s development agency tasked with making large layouts can resort to such poor work, making the lives of residents miserable. “For a long time, this stretch did not have proper roads and just when everyone thought they could breath a sigh of relief, freshly laid roads developed large potholes," Mr. Srivatsa said. He said Lokayukta has to take suo motu cognisance of the shoddy work to fix accountability and should make officials pay for their ignorance.
Kiran Kumar of Change Makers of Kanakapura said the absence of proper drains and sub-par asphalting work were the root causes of the problem. “A drive on the road during rainfall exposes the BDA, which has not built drains. Now the footpaths are also encroached by street vendors with no dedicated space for them. The BDA has stopped work and there is no clarity on what the agency will do to fix this problem,” he said.
A local BDA official said the work on the stretch has not been completed due to which the road gets inundated. The BDA will also work towards filling potholes in places where the same issue has surfaced. “I will be sending an engineer to check the spots and fix the problem,” he said.
