KR Circle underpass remains unrepaired

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Five months after the tragic demise of a 23-year-old techie, Bhanu Rekha, who got trapped in a cab and submerged in the water-logged Krishna Rajendra Circle underpass, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has failed to complete the final inspection of the spot.

Within 10 days of the mishap, a team from the Lokayukta visited the spot and conducted an inspection of the faulty drainage. The team was led by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Subramanyeswara Rao.

According to a report issued in June, the team found blockages in the drainage system, and alleged 'prima facie negligence' on the city officials. Basavaraju, a traffic cop deployed at the circle, told News Trail that the closure of the circle during rainy days causes huge traffic congestion.

"The traffic during peak hours is difficult to manage. The civic agency needs to address the issue as soon as possible," he added.

The BBMP denied to come forward and speak on the issue, while several officials are involved in blame-game with other civic agencies.

However one civic official, on the condition of anonymity, explained that the drainage gets clogged due to dust particles including plastic and paper entering the underpass.

The response from the civic agencies for a solution did not address the crux of the problem.

"We close the underpass, when heavy rain occurs and a team is being sent every three months to clear the drains," the official added.

The KR Circle underpass built just a few meters away from the Vidhana Soudha, was opened for the public in 2009. It, however, lacks the maitenance and basic scientific temper.

"We realised that we needed to take a technical approach, after the incident took place in May," the official admitted.

According to the official, the underpass only gets closed during heavy rains. But it was found out that the underpass remains closed everyday after 8 pm.

"After peak hours in the evening, there wouldn't be a need to take the underpass, as the roads are large enough to contain traffic," a traffic cop said.