Water pumps stolen, JCB used to clear drain!

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Contractors engaged to widen the road along a storm water drain culvert near Adarsha Theater Junction are having a tough time. Recently, their water pumps, being used to drain stagnating water from the storm water drain, were stolen by a group of drunken miscreants. The contractor has now resorted to using a JCB earth-moving machine to scoop water out of the drain.

“The miscreants, most of them in an inebriated condition, have been threatening our workers with knives. They have stolen a few water pumps and spare parts of an earth moving machine. I can’t afford to lose more water pumps. So, I am using an earth moving machine to drain stagnated water from the storm water drain,’’ said the contractor.

He said that he had complained to the police but in vain. “I am aware that it will be difficult for the police to keep an eye on the miscreants. It is difficult to continue the road widening work,’’ he said, adding that he finds it prudent to use the earth moving machine, which was lying idle, to lift stagnated water from the drain.

Last month, residents staged a protest against the delay in commencing the road widening work. They asked the BBMP to widen the road along the culvert to facilitate movement of vehicles towards Old Madras Road or Chinmaya Mission Hospital Road without any hassles. The BBMP authorities say electric cables are in the way, causing the delay.

“We have to keep workers’ safety in mind as there are many electric cables. There is no sufficient space to carry out the construction work due to the buildings on both sides of the storm water drain,’’ said BBMP Junior Engineer (Storm Water Drains) Srinivas.

Meanwhile, B.R. Chandran, a social activist from Halasuru, has blamed the BBMP engineers for taking the road widening work without removing silt in the culvert.“There is no clarity on the road widening work that has been pending for quite a long time. I want the BBMP engineers to take measures to remove the silt accumulated in the culvert. A BBMP engineer told me that removing silt is part of the annual maintenance of the storm water drain,’’ said Chandran.

BBMP Junior Engineer Srinivas has said the contractor needs two months to complete the road widening on the culvert. “The width of the road is expected to increase by one meter. It will facilitate movement of vehicles without any hassles. The widening of the road will provide a footpath for pedestrians. As of now, there is no footpath on the culvert,’’ said the BBMP engineer.