BBMP action plan to restore 630 km of roads
BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Commissioner B H Anil Kumar tweeted that the civic body has drawn up an action plan to restore 630 km out of 3000 km roads in the city once the BWSSB finishes laying drinking water and underground drainage (UGD) pipelines.
Citizens had expressed dismay over the condition of their roads, especially in the five outer zones -Bommanahalli, Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Yelahanka. BWSSB has taken up works in the 110 villages that fall in these zones, and heavy rains worsened road conditions here.
Action will be taken on a “war footing” after the rains, and complaints on slush and water-logging would also be looked into, said Kumar.
Kumar recently inspected roads in Kasturinagar after 400 residents there marched silently, demanding the restoration of roads dug for pipeline work. Roads along 2nd Main and 4th Main in Kasturinagar are vital links to Baiyappanahalli metro station, Shivajinagar, KR Puram and Hebbal. Buses have stopped plying on these roads since they’ve become non-motorable.
Meanwhile, the BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) has decided to repair a stretch of Mysuru Road, from Nayandahalli station to NICE Road. Motorists had expressed ire on social media regarding the road that had been damaged due to Metro construction. BMRCL will spend Rs 10.79 crore to restore the road, drains and footpaths. Tender for this has already been floated, and work will start within six months of the contract being awarded.
Source: The Hindu | Deccan Herald
BIAL to use plastic for road work
The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) will use plastic-coated bitumen to build 50 km of roads within its campus. About a tonne of plastic is required to lay one km of the road.
In the asphalt, 6-8 percent of bitumen will be replaced by low-density shredded plastic which is expected to act as a binder. This would help prevent potholes, and lead to very little water seepage resulting in longevity of roads.
Of the 50 tonnes of plastic required for the roads, about 10 tonnes have been collected from various quarters. To collect the rest, BIAL had launched the #PlasticBeku campaign, and placed a number of plastic donation bins in its campus.
The #PlasticBeku collection drive is also being conducted at three BIAL-adopted schools – Bettakote Government Lower Primary School, Vijayapura Government Higher Primary Girls’ Model School and Ardeshanahalli Government Lower Primary School. It is also being implemented at five panchayats of Devanahalli taluk, and in private schools and Resident Welfare Associations of North Bengaluru.
Source: The Hindu | Indian Express
BWSSB calls out defaulters
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is now publicly calling out defaulters. Officials are making announcements through megaphones in by-lanes, asking defaulters to either pay their dues or get ready to be penalised. They are being warned that their water and sewerage lines would be cut if they do not comply.
Police security is being included to help manage sensitive areas. Last Wednesday, the first announcement was made in VV Puram as a pilot.
Source: Deccan Herald
Situation worsening in traffic-heavy junctions
Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has identified the 25 worst traffic black spots in the city. These include Tin Factory Junction, Hoodi Main Road, Silk Board Junction, St John’s Junction, Hebbal Circle, and Kengeri Bus Stand Junction.
The situation is worsening at these spots, owing to poor traffic management, bad road conditions, lack of pedestrian facilities, motorists’ failure to follow rules, construction work and erratic parking, say senior police officials. K V Jagadeesh, DCP, Traffic (East), said that BTP was planning to install cameras with Artificial Intelligence technology to help record, regulate and mitigate traffic problems.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]