Pramesh S Jain
*Minister inspects roads from 9 PM to nearly midnight; pulls up officials over dark stretches,unfinished footpaths and open drains.
*Orders immediate repairs and warns officials and contractors of strict action.
*Entire Bannerghatta Road to be white-topped for a long-term solution.
*GBA-police joint task force to prevent re-encroachment of footpaths.
*Pulls up officials after finding waste uncleared behind Mantri Mall in Malleswaram even after 1 AM;later,held a late-night inspection of flower market near Malleswaram 13th Cross.
Bengaluru: A late-night field inspection by Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda,which began at around 9 PM and continued for more than 3 hours into the night,close to midnight,exposed significant gaps in the maintenance of streetlights,footpaths,drains and roads along one of Bengaluru’s key southern corridors.
Accompanied by South Corporation Commissioner K.N. Ramesh and senior civic officials,Minister Byre Gowda inspected the stretch from JP Nagar Metro Station through the Outer Ring Road and Bannerghatta Main Road up to the Gottigere NICE Road Junction.
The inspection turned into an on-the-spot reality check, with the Minister pulling up officials over non-functional streetlights,incomplete footpath works,open drains, road defects,debris and poor maintenance.
*530 of 1,540 streetlights found switched off:
The most significant finding of the inspection was the failure of 530 out of 1,540 streetlights- nearly 34%- along the JP Nagar–Gottigere stretch.
Only 1,010 lights were found functioning,while 530 were completely non-functional.
The Minister said his office staff had conducted night-time surveys on September 7 and September 15, and the situation had remained largely unchanged for 11 days.
_Despite high-level meetings held in July and August, repeated instructions and even the suspension of an engineer, the lack of improvement on the ground came in for strong criticism.
The LED lighting contract had ended in February,but the contractor had failed to complete the work even during the extended period.
The Minister also pointed out that 90-watt old lights continued to be used instead of 120-watt lights appropriate for the width of the road.High-density lights and median lights were also found non-functional.
At several locations,including in front of Christ University near Hulimavu and around Mega City Mall,stretches of the road were found to be poorly lit.
Questioning the electrical engineering officials,Mr. Byre Gowda asked whether engineers were actually conducting night inspections or merely preparing reports from their offices.
He directed officials to impose double penalties on non-performing contractors and initiate blacklisting wherever warranted.
*”Do engineers need the Minister to point out what is visible to everyone?”.
The Minister also expressed strong displeasure over the condition of footpaths at Vega City Mall Junction,near Nagarjuna Hotel and Empire Hotel.
At several locations, concrete slabs meant for footpath and drain works were lying scattered, while open drains posed a safety risk to pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
Pointing to slabs lying right next to uncovered drains,the Minister questioned why officials had failed to use the available material to address an obvious safety hazard.
He directed engineers to ensure that footpaths are completed properly, with concrete ramps at entry and exit points for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
He also instructed officials to install pressed-concrete bollards to prevent vehicles from entering footpaths and use brushed concrete to create a smoother,more level pedestrian surface.
*Illegal advertisements,BESCOM cables and debris ordered cleared.
The Minister directed officials to immediately remove large unauthorised advertising boards occupying footpaths and public spaces, including those put up by commercial establishments.
He also instructed civic officials to conduct a joint inspection with BESCOM and remove dangerous electrical cables and pipes lying on or along footpaths.
Near Khushi Fertility Centre in front of Vega City Mall,he took note of potholes and construction debris dumped on the road.Officials were directed to clear the debris immediately under the Freedom from Waste campaign.
The condition around the JP Nagar 4th Phase Metro Station also came under scrutiny.
At Maruti Public School in Hulimavu,the Minister found that mechanical sweeping had not been effective,with garbage still remaining on the road.He directed officials to intensify road-cleaning operations.
*Bannerghatta-NICE Road junction gets on-the-spot scrutiny.
At the Bannerghatta-NICE Road–Gottigere Junction,the Minister identified deficiencies in road widening, drainage and surfacing works.
He questioned officials about a section where the road had been left without proper tar surfacing and where a drain had been constructed with an unnecessary curve, reducing the effective width of the road.
Calling the junction an important gateway to the city with thousands of vehicles passing through every day,he directed officials to remove roadside vegetation, complete the road surfacing and address the design deficiencies to improve traffic flow.
Entire Bannerghatta Road to be white-topped:
Briefing the media after the inspection,Minister Byre Gowda said the Bannerghatta Road has suffered extensive damage due to Metro works and BWSSB pipeline installation.
While temporary asphalt repairs have been undertaken, heavy traffic has continued to damage the road.
As a long-term solution,he said a decision has been taken at the higher level to undertake white-topping of the entire Bannerghatta Road under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
GBA-police joint task force to prevent footpath re-encroachment:
The Minister also announced that a joint task force comprising GBA and the city police would soon be constituted to prevent footpaths from being re-encroached after they are cleared.
He said the focus would be on ensuring that pedestrian infrastructure,once restored,remains accessible to the public.
Mr.Byre Gowda directed officials to treat basic civic infrastructure— including streetlights,pothole repairs and footpath maintenance—as an immediate priority, warning that failure to address such issues would invite strict disciplinary action from the field level to senior officers.
*REALITY CHECK | JP Nagar–Gottigere stretch:
* Total streetlights: 1,540.
* Functioning: 1,010.
* Non-functional: 530.
* Failure rate: 34%.
* Night surveys: September 7 and September 15.
*Key dark spots:Christ University,Hulimavu;Meenakshi/
*Key directions:
*Replace 90-watt lights with 120-watt LED lights suited to road width.
*Cover open drains with concrete slabs.
*Provide footpath ramps for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
*Install bollards to prevent vehicle encroachment on footpaths.
*Complete asphalt work and clear vegetation at the Bannerghatta-NICE Road Junction.
*Remove unauthorised advertisements,
dangerous BESCOM cables and debris.
