roads

"It is close to four years now and there has not been a single repair work of the road," says Anil Kumar, but the RTI activist is not complaining! "It is strong, inspite of the many floods since 2008 when it was laid" says Kumar. A conversation with Kumar makes it apparent that it is not just the roads themselves but the monitoring of the entire process that residents need to be aware of in order to ensure that a good road is laid. In 1995, Ejipura was a new ward that lacked many basic civic amenities. A group of…

It was great to see this image:  But we hope something like this will not happen:  Or something like this...!  Thanks to  Chidambaram Subrmanian for the photos and the link to the video.  ⊕

  As you go around the city, don't forget to see the flowers of spring and summer, in all their glory.....here they are:Tabebuia argentea (or Tacoma argentea), the Golden Bell or Trumpet: Couroupita guianensis, the Cannonball tree (Nagalinga):The flower has a faint and lovely smell:Milletia ovalifolia, Moulmein Rosewood:Grevillea robusta, Silver Oak:Ceiba pentandra, a variety of Silk-Cotton:In this tree,the silk-cotton has burst through the pods:Tabebuia rosea, the Pink Poui:Erythrina indica, the Indian Coral Tree:Jacaranda mimosaefolia, the Jacaranda:Firmiana colorata, Coloured Sterculia (this is not a very common tree though)Plumeria species, Frangipani:, Colville's Glory:Spathodea campanulata, the African Tulip:Check out my Nature Guru (S.Karthikeyan)'s list…

On September 1st 2010, local daily newspapers reported that BBMP Commissioner H Siddaiah had issued a circular to zonal joint commissioners to fill all potholes in the city within a fortnight. Each ward was given Rs 1 lakh for this purpose. On September 15th, the deadline came. And went. But potholes continue to remain. In south Bangalore's Kengeri (Ward 159), Corporator R Anjanappa (BJP) says they have completed work only to an extent. "Rs 1 lakh is too little money for us to fill all potholes...there are still many potholes to be filled", he says. Suresh Devathraj, an engineer in…

Came across an article about the worsening traffic situation in India. Badly planned roads, overstretched traffic police, violators get away easy, explosion in vehicle population, and a flood of untrained drivers all contribute to the problem. Wait! There is one more reason; there are a set of unwritten rules that are passed on from driver to driver in the great oral tradition of India! Since this tradition is oral, there is ample scope for misinterpretation and consequent goof-ups on the road. The other unique aspect about these rules is that they don't have to be consistently followed, just understood and…

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the BBMP will soon begin to decide and approve all major road projects in Bengaluru’s limits. This is confirmed by the Technical Advisor to the BBMP Commissioner and Member of TAC, H Raja Simha. So far, the TAC was approving grade separator and road widening works for the BBMP along the 12-arterial corridors (major roads going out of the city) only. For grade separator projects outside the corridors, TAC was not involved. But now, Simha says a decision has been taken for all such projects to be sent to TAC for approval. Additional Commissioner…

Behind the chaos that people associate the place with, Kalasipalaya is actually a well laid out grid of streets between SJP Road, Kalasipalaya Bus Stand, VV Puram and Double Roads. The location is perfect to cater to the large 'Market' area with perishable goods like vegetables and industrial supplies. That's the reason; you will find the offices and warehouses of every major trucking company in India in Kalasipalaya. But if you are a trucker, Kalasipalaya provides the perfect pit stop. After a long drive, you have places for the truckers to wash and change. Taste Punjabi food at its dhabbas…

  Beautiful RoadsPathetic condition of BDA approved layout Upadhaya layout, Nagadevanahalli, Kengeri Hobli with 319 sites was approved by BDA five years back (vide Res No 145/2004 dt. 29-05-2004, Extent 28A-27G as per information available in BDA website). The roads have never been asphalted till date. Crimes have started during night in absence of street lights. How much time do the tax payers have to wait for basic amenities??? ⊕

"If I were pregnant, I'd surely have a miscarriage", is the thought that I have everyday when I'm on my Kinetic Honda on Bangalore roads. The bumps and potholes on the road jiggle my fat enough that I never feel the need for a workout. Coming back to Bangalore after five years provided a shock to my entire system. The place had changed! No more was it a sleepy town and when someone told me that Jayanagar still reminded them of OLD Bangalore, I chuckled away to myself.I believe from the depths of my heart that you should not swear…

There have been quite a few articles recently on disappearing footpaths (or sidewalks), illegal speed breaks etc - so I took these pictures as a pun on BBMP (our favourite punching bag). To their credit, they do good work (airport road is a shining example), but poor planning throws a lot of problems for the public.Since the construction started at the junction to RT Nagar on Bellary Road, the commuters take the extended roads on the side. The distance is about half a kilometre - with no pedestrian walkways, footpaths or even a proper tarred road. Speed breaks? The gravel…