Bengaluru: After St. Marks Road, yet another beautifully-done TenderSure footpath on Cunningham Road near Chandrika Hotel has been dug up at two points by the Bescom authorities. This makes a mockery of preventing digging up footpaths to lay utilities! Although the state government is spending a huge amount of money on TenderSure, things are back to the same old mess.
The blame game is on between Bescom and project designers and consultants — (Jana Urban Space Foundation (JUSP) for digging up the footpath. But an engineer from Bescom, on condition of anonymity, said that they are upset with the BBMP for completing the footpath work on Cunningham Road even before the former laid their underground cable network. He alleged that due to the shoddy work, the supply of electricity has been affected. The Bescom has been struggling to provide electricity to over 30 buildings between Chandrika Hotel signal to Sankey Road Junction, the engineer said.
Due to sub-standard and improper planning, the Bescom’s old cables have been buried. Difficulty in accessing old lines have pushed many residents into darkness, alleges the engineer and adds, the lack of co-ordination has led to major problems between Bescom and the public.
TenderSure road has been dug up by BSNL to lay a telephone cable. The linemen have dug up recently finished stretch on Cunningham Road. (Photo: R. Samuel)
A contractor who was monitoring Bescom work said that the work has been going on for the last one month to run the Bescom cable into the duct. Even before the work was completed the BBMP had covered the utility ducts and laid the kerb stones too. This had forced the workers to dig up the pavement and lay the cables. It had become‘double work’ for them, he explained.
The BBMP could have waited instead of accusing the workers of digging at three points. Unless these new cables were laid the buildings on this lane would not get their electricity supply, he said and added that they had already dug up that portion thrice.
Faulty planning: expert
Civic evangelist V. Ravichandar said it was a blunder by Bescom to shift from the old buried lines to the newly-laid lines in the ducts provided. There was a failure in scheduling and planning, failure to provide electricity supply through the new line, which must match with the footpath work. Shifting to the new lines were important, failing which structures along the road would be deprived of electricity supply, concluded Mr. Ravichandar.
Residents inconvenienced
The stretch being a blend of residential and commercial structures along Cunningham Road, the BBMP should have taken care to reduce inconvenience to residents. Mrs. Farooq, a resident, says she was deprived of water and electricity supply. When complaining did not help her, she had to shell out Rs 13,000 to get new lines to restore water supply.
Arjun Murthy, another resident of Cunningham Road, said the work had been delayed inordinately and access to vehicles coming into their compound had been disturbed by raising the height of the footpath. Cars were being damaged while getting in and out of the house. Water and electricity supply too was affected due to the shoddy work and they had to shell out huge money to lay new water lines, he rued.
