The suspect quality of civil work by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and other civic agencies is not unknown. But now, the negligence with which the BBMP leaves spaces open during ongoing civil work is proving to be life-threatening for pedestrians.
Areas of Sarjapur, Bellandur and other parts of Bengaluru along the Sarjapur Road are the most affected, with laying and digging of roads going on in various parts. Residents complain that the ongoing storm water drainage work as part of the road widening project along the Sarjapur Road has made life miserable for pedestrians and left their safety compromised.
From uncovered drains without barricades in unlit streets to exposed electrical wires, the basic task of walking through the streets has become an ordeal for pedestrians.
“People can get hurt easily and even lose their lives also if things go bad,” DM Patil, a Sarjapur Road resident told TNM.
Leave alone kids, even adults find it unsafe to walk on the pavements. This forces people to step on to the carriageway, which in turn leads to road accidents.
Due to problems with land acquisition, the BBMP is putting storm water drains on either side of the road and using slabs to double it up as a pavement.
“Due to the drain work, there are a lot of electrical poles that have been left exposed or uprooted due to lack of proper planning. Moreover, exposed electrical lines and polls pose a much higher risk of large-scale electrocution given that heavy rains in Bengaluru are quite common. God forbid if there are heavy rains or strong winds, the polls can fall on the ground after loosening of the soil. This is a disaster waiting to happen as there are some transformers also at risk of collapsing,” he added.
“There are issues with electric lines covering the pavements along with other forms of cables like telephone wires and optical fibre cables along the Outer Ring Road almost everywhere. Right now, Sarjapur Road is a hazardous zone. There are accidents on a daily basis. In most places, there are no places to stand and walk,” Kishori M, a Bellandur resident-activist told TNM.
BBMP Chief Engineer for Stormwater Drains Bettegowda and Mahadevpura Joint Commissioner Jagadish could not be reached for comment.