Unfinished BESCOM, BWSSB business

Sanjay R Murty | NT
Bengaluru:

Several major roads in the city are infamously narrow and incapable of handling heavy traffic. Commuting on such roads becomes even more strenuous when they are dug up and not restored in time. M S Ramaiah Road is a major artery connecting IISc, Yeshwanthpur and Malleshwaram with areas like Mathikere, Gokula, BEL Circle and Jalahalli. Almost all buses that go to BEL Circle (and beyond) ply on this road.

Both Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had taken up works on different stretches of M S Ramaiah road and have left the road unrestored. The road, which stretches from Yeshwanthpur Toll Gate to the BEL Circle signal, is already quite narrow when one considers the traffic density here.

The unrestored portion has further decreased the usable road width. The stretch of road from Mathikere Signal to Ramaiah College bus stop was dug up by BESCOM on the eastern side to lay underground cables. However, it has not been restored completely even after months post-completion. The next stretch was dug up by the BWSSB for the installation of a 70-mm water supply pipeline. This has also been completed, but the road remains unrestored.

A BWSSB official from the Yeshwanthpur Service Station, when contacted by News Trail, admitted that the restoration had been delayed. “We fill the dug portion, pour wet-mix and level the road before handing it over to the BBMP which then takes up asphalting,” he said. According to him, this process was completed on the stretch between the Ramaiah College stop and Subedarpalya.

On one hand, the stretch is inconvenient for motorists, and on the other hand, pedestrians are affected as the narrow footpath along the IISc compound is filled with debris. BWSSB’s delay is reportedly due to rain and restrictions on timings. “We were asked to work at night as traffic cannot be stopped on this stretch. This, along with rain, has been delaying the restoration,” the local BWSSB official told News Trail.

Mindless parking

Some vans and mini-buses that come to drop children at Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV IISc) near Yeshwanthpur toll gate are parked on one side of the road. Despite being a no-parking zone, these vans are parked here and lead to traffic blockages. This forces motorists to drive on the unrestored portion of the road on the other side.

Buses face the greatest inconvenience due to the irresponsible parking of vehicles near Yeshwanthpur toll gate. This spot is situated at a distance of fewer than 500m from the Yeshwanthpur Police Station and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-West). A policeman told News Trail that the station had received no information on the perpetual parking of vans and said that action would be taken soon.