PWD Engineers Attribute Nagarhole Road Damages To Heavy Rainfall
A Public Works Department engineer told Deccan Chronicle on Thursday a notice has been served on the contractor over damages: Reports
BENGALURU: While the State is reeling under deficit rainfall this year, officials of the Public Works Department, Mysuru attribute the damages on the newly asphalted road via Udboor Gate to the Bavali checkpost inside Nagarahole Tiger Reserve of H.D. Kote taluk to heavy rainfall lashing at certain locations of the road.
The newly asphalted road of about10-km was laid about six months ago and the road has sunk at about 50 places along the forest route leading to questions by villagers of Machoor, a village adjacent to the Tiger Reserve, over its quality. The villagers allege the prima facie “substantial” quality works.
A Public Works Department engineer told Deccan Chronicle on Thursday a notice has been served on the contractor over damages on the road and the engineer attributed the road damages to heavy rainfall at certain locations resulting in edges of the road newly asphalted getting damaged.
A villager of Machoor stated “One can see water holes in the Tiger Reserve are dry without adequate rainfall” and questioned the PWD officials over the reasons given for conducting “substandard” works which did not even last a year. Another Machoor village observed “Signboards on the road direct travellers to travel at a speed of 30 kmph from Udboor Gate to Bavali checkpost. How can a newly asphalted road get damaged in a short span of time?”
Explaining the condition of the road, the PWD engineers stated “we have started repair works on the affected portion of the road." A traveller on the road observed gravel stones laid on the road wherever damages have been noticed but not neatly rolled to make it remain firm on the road.
A forest officer of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve stated “The road was asphalted as per the direction of the forest guidelines.”
The PWD engineers said another six-km of road inside the Tiger Reserve via Uboor Gate to Bavali checkpost is in urgent need of asphalt and the officer exuded confidence of grants release to begin the works.