‘Fix problems on Bengaluru-Mysuru Express-Highway’

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru

 Holding unscientific work on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Express Highway responsible for the mayhem in the past one week following heavy rains in Mandya, Lok Sabha MP Sumalatha Ambareesh has urged the Government of India to set right the shoddy work before the formal opening of the highway.

She told reporters here that the authorities of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) failed to consider the problems of farmers and the general public in neighbouring districts before the execution of the multi-crore infrastructure project. This has been discussed with the authorities concerned in the last two years. Besides, it was also raised in the DI[1]SHA meeting several times but none of them took responsibility, she said.

The MP said the problems in highway work such as service roads and underpasses are coming to the fore after the rain havoc. Some engineers had taken unscientific decisions in order to save money while executing the project. Hitherto, storm water drains were constructed on both sides of the road and the highway height increased so that rain water would flow in the drains. Such a system has been totally destroyed by officials and engineers.

 “I will discuss the shoddy work with Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, besides convening a meeting of NHAI authorities to suggest remedies for the current faults in the highway project”.

 Sumalatha said officials of Cauvery Niravari Nigam have written 21 letters to NHAI authorities about the problems at the time of highway construction but there was not a single reply from them. This exposes the sheer negligence of officials, she said.

Asked about Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha’s observation that the filled tanks and encroachments of Raja Kaluves are responsible for the rain water accumulating on the highway, she declined to talk about other constituencies. “I am not going to target anyone or engage in a political war of words. The Bengaluru-Mysuru Express Highway project is not the project of a single person. Our duty is to identify the problems and find solutions. According to my knowledge, there are problems at 16 places which have never never happened in the past”.

 The MP claimed that the officials have carried out ‘careless work’ despite being aware of the problems. The NHAI must set right the problems pointed out by people and farmers. She added that she did not have any problem with the formal opening of the highway and her only demand is that the unscientific work must be corrected immediately