From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 14 : With the onset of monsoon and aware of the problems of people due to flooding and several incomplete civic works, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday took time to go round the city to monitor various civic works undertaken by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by top officials and the Mayor of Bengaluru, first visited the area surrounding the Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysuru Road, which is infamous for heavy flooding almost every year due to heavy rains causing severe hardships to the citizens.
The Chief Minister directed the BBMP officials to expedite the Rs 6 crore storm water drain work taken up to find a permanent solution to the problem.
BBMP’s Chief Engineer Siddegowda said 600-metre stretch of the 900-metre long drain leading to the temple junction was almost complete and work on the remaining 300-m was pending.
The BBMP’s Major Works Department has increased the deck slab of the SWD at the temple junction by five feet. This is to ensure that the water flow in the drain is unhindered. The increase in the deck slab height has also created an 80-metre long road in front of the temple.
Completion of the work on this road, traffic from Mysuru coming into the city can take a U-turn instead of going ahead till Satellite Bus Station to proceed towards Byatarayanapura and Girinagar, officials told the Chie Minister.
Siddaramaiah also inspected the work on the bridge at KAVIKA junction, where the BBMP is replacing a very old bridge that was leading to flooding.
The civic body has now completed one arm of the 15-metre wide bridge and vehicular movement in one direction was being allowed.
But the work on the bridge, which started in March 2015, was still pending due to heavy work while laying foundation causing delays in executing the work. The work on the other arm of the bridge will be taken up shortly, officials said.
The Chief Minister also inspected the widening of SRS Road, running through Peenya Industrial Area.
The 25-feet narrow road is a crucial link between National Highway 4- Tumakuru Road and the Outer Ring Road. Buses even ply on this narrow road. The road is now being widened to a six-lane road.
Though the BBMP officials said the work would take another three months to be completed, the Chief Minister directed them to ensure completion at least by August 15.
Later, Siddaramaiah inspected the construction of the road-over-bridge at MES Junction.
He directed the Bengaluru Development Authority to release payments to the South Western Railways for the same in two weeks’ time.
After inspecting the completed work on a Storm Water Drain at H.B.R. Layout, he visited Hennur Flyover that is far from completion.
He warned the officials that action would be taken against the officials in charge of the project, if the acquisition process of the remaining properties is not completed by next month and handed over to the authority’s engineering division.
During the Chief Minister’s whirlwind tour of the city, large crowds of people were jostling to speak to him and present petitions on various local civic problems, including directions to the BBMP and BWSSB authorities to execute civic works speedily and also solve the drinking water snags in some areas.