The system does work (at least it did for us)

Only one week after re-laying the road that leads to Ryan International School at Brookefields, the asphalt started pitting. Aggregate (jelly) started peeling, and undulations on road surface appeared. The road looked as though it tired of a couple of monsoons, although it was all of one week young.

Demoralised but not defeated, Brookefields residents contacted Chief Engineer Parameshwariah, upon the advise of RK Mishra. In close tandem, Doddanekkundi’s newly-elected Councillor, Vijaykumar, was watching.

The new chief engineer is a dynamic man. He easily upsets when he sees shoddy quality in public works. He is widely recognised as the force behind Yelahanka’s SWM success. He spent an hour on the phone with us, and swore he would make the contractor hew to specifications.

The next day, an inspection team led by AEE Munireddy arrived, encouraged by a few friendly phone calls from Councillor Vijaykumar. An hour after inspection, work started, and by end of day, an additional 25 mm of semi-dense bituminous concrete draped the road.

So is our problem all solved? Are we going to enjoy a road that will last five monsoons? Probably not.

Due to impatient traffic, the new surface could not be laid as per process. And who knows, the next week may not see pitting of the asphalt, but a digging crew from BWSSB.

Nevertheless, I document with gratitude: the Chief Engineer responded. Our elected Councillor, who ordered the original re-surface, not just responded, but supervised both the original and remedial re-surfacing. The inspection team was there from start to the late-night finish. The Councillor, the Chief Engineer, the Inspector insisted that the contractor fulfill his obligations before payment. Nobody dismissed our complaints.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” Could it really be that simple?

Related Articles

How citizens near Kanakpura road protested against BDA’s inaction
Hulimavu-Begur road in Akshayanagar Layout gets a facelift

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Holes in tunnels: Glaring gaps in Bengaluru’s proposed Tunnel Road Project

The Tunnel Road Project proposes seamless travel solutions and mobility, but costly flaws and redundancy have drawn criticism.

The Tunnel Roads Project (TRP) was cleared by the Karnataka Cabinet on August 22, 2024.  On December 20th the same year, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) unveiled the 628-page report titled “Comprehensive Bengaluru City Traffic Management  Infrastructure Plan – proposals for vehicular tunnel / grade separator / road  widening in selected corridors- final feasibility report, December 2024”, prepared by Altinok Consulting Engineers Inc.  The report has clubbed together proposals for tunnel roads, double deckers and grade separators (Flyovers/Elevated Corridors), with one of its key objectives being “...developing a plan to support mobility of public transport users, pedestrians and  cyclists”. One of…

Similar Story

Ride smart, ditch cash: All about the Singara Chennai Card

MTC’s Singara Chennai card makes cashless commuting easy with smart, secure payments on buses and metro trains across Chennai.

On January 6 2025, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) launched the ‘Singara Chennai’ smart card, enabling cashless transactions not only on MTC buses but also on metro trains in Chennai. It can be used in Bengaluru and Delhi too, which accept the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). In the first phase of the rollout, MTC has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI) and plans to distribute 50,000 cards free of charge. Within the first 15 days, MTC sold around 11,000 cards. One of the challenges faced by MTC bus conductors and passengers is ensuring the correct change for…