TenderSURE great, but maintain it, BBMP
The TenderSURE roads may have done wonders for the city's aesthetic appeal but what is design without maintenance.
This year’s monsoon has taken a heavy toll on the roads of Bengaluru. Even the much-hyped TenderSURE, which cost eight times more than a regular road, are not immune to waterlogging during the heavy showers. Although there are gratings at regular intervals, these are clogged by twigs, stones, silt and other debris that block the free flow of water. The TenderSURE roads may have done wonders for the city’s aesthetic appeal but what is design without maintenance, asks Aknisree Karthik.
The BBMP, which a few years ago was bent on widening roads and even went on a property acquiring spree for the purpose, did a sudden U-turn later and decided that pedestrian comfort was important too. To the surprise of many it came up with the idea of TenderSURE roads with their wider footpaths as an alternative to the pothole- ridden roads of Bengaluru, promising they would be of international standards and much more durable.
But the heavy rain of the last few weeks has shown its promises to be hollow once again as the TenderSure roads are not really immune to the downpour.
Although remodelled , many of these roads have become waterlogged in the rain. And experts warn that if nothing is done about this then these TenderSURE roads that were eight times more costly to lay than the regular roads, may meet the same fate as the latter. “ If nothing is done to correct this situation the condition of the TenderSURE roads will be no different from the pothole- ridden roads and flyovers,” they caution.
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While many commuters are happy with the new look roads, they too are worried that they may eventually go the same way as the rest of the roads in the city given the current waterlogging they are experiencing.
Complains Mr Vinod Jayapal, a techie, who often uses Cunningham Road and Residency Road that have received the TenderSure treatment, "There is no doubt the roads developed under TenderSURE are of international standards as once we enter them we feel we are in a different world. But the heavy rain of the last two months has left them flooded just like the other roads, which was not expected."
Although these roads have gratings at regular intervals, most are filled with leaves, twigs, stones, paper, silt and dust, blocking the free flow of water, he notes, suggesting that the designers should have made the gratings bigger to ensure that they did not get clogged in a deluge.
Mr D S Rajashekar, president of the Citizens' Action Forum points out that nature’s fury is beyond anyone’s control, but the civic fathers should have made sure the city is prepared for the worst. "It is good that we are attempting to raise the standard of city roads with wider footpaths. But what is the point in having such roads, which are not able to handle heavy rain?" he asks pertinently, adding, “ Civic officials need to realise that tar and water is a very bad combination. Almost every road and flyover in the city is filled with potholes owing to the heavy rain of the last few weeks and if no arrangement is made to avert flooding of roads already developed under TenderSURE, there is no point in executing such a costly project using the taxpayers’ hard earned money.”
The activist believes the consultants, who failed to make the necessary suggestions on the carrying capacity of the roads should be penalized and the BBMP should make the contractors pay if the roads are damaged in rain.
Obstacle course for TenderSURE road pedestrians
If TenderSURE roads were meant to provide pedestrians more comfort, they are not doing a good job of it. With slabs already broken across the newly built footpaths in places and garbage spilling over on others, people are having a hard time walking on them. Take the footpath along Richmond Road, where the bins are overflowing with garbage, making it difficult for the pedestrians to walk on it.
Says Mr Sathyanarayan Rao, a marketing executive, who often uses the road, "It is good that the BBMP has placed bins on the footpath along Richmond Road as it is now possible for us to discard our cigarette packets, empty cups and so on properly, and not litter the road with them. But what about clearing the garbage bins regularly ? They are overflowing , giving off a foul smell, making it difficult for anyone to use the footpath.”
As for St Mark's Road , pedestrians here complain they are finding it difficult to access the footpath. “Of late we find barely visible strings cutting off access to the footpath here. They have planted saplings along the footpath and the strings are there to safeguard them. But as they are hardly visible, I went into them and would have fallen on the road in the way of traffic if I had not saved myself," recounts Mr Stephen Rathnam, a techie, who was recently in the area.
Ask a BBMP engineer about the overflowing dustbins on Richmond Road and he claims the festival holidays have affected the garbage collection. "As it was a festive season with back to back holidays, the garbage collection has been affected. We will clear the rubbish immediately," he promised.
As for the TenderSURE roads being flooded in rain, he blamed this on the sweepers assigned to them. “The pourakaramikas, who are deputed to these roads, need special orientation. The TenderSURE roads have gratings on either side at regular intervals to drain the rain water. But some of the sweepers push the trash into the graters blocking free flow of water," he regretted.