The Karnataka High Court has served a notice to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in connection with a public interest litigation objecting to white-topping of South End Road from Madhavan Park to Nettakallappa Circle.
The petition filed by AC Chandrashekar and seven other residents of Basavanagudi cited that the BBMP so far has not finalised any scientific method for the white-topping. They said the road will lack drainage facilities for both rainwater and sewage as no culverts have been built and also white-topping will make the road uneven. The petitioners contended that white-topping was not required for this stretch.
The case is being heard by a division bench headed by acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar.
This stretch is proposed to be white-topped after the election Model Code of Conduct is lifted, as many pending civic works will be taken up by the authorities.
“While white-topping and TenderSure works will continue after the elections, new ward works will be taken up in other places like Malleswaram, Peenya, Shivajinagar, Chamarajpet, Lingarajapuram, Yelahanka and Hebbal. Apart from this, the ongoing flyover and underpass work like at Okalipuram and Sivananda Circle will also be speeded up. We also plan to take up skywalk construction work after the code of conduct ends,” an official told Deccan Herald.
However, opposition to white-topping of roads is not new. In September, 2018, residents of Wilson Garden had held a protest against it. They said the project was not suitable for their vehicles.
“The white-topping project is not suitable for the motorists. The tyres of our vehicles are not designed for concrete roads. They want to lay a white-topping on this bad road but it will only harm the road further and will also deplete the groundwater,” one protestor had said.