This Article is From Dec 01, 2010

Beware of these bombs on footpaths

Bangalore: Transformers on the footpaths! One can see this wonder only in Bangalore City. The reason is clear. Unbridled construction, courtesy corrupt babudom, has eaten up every inch of public space in the past two decades of feverish development.

BBMP blames Bescom for its negligent way of handling public safety. Councillors slam the power supplier for its 'waywardness'.

Byrasandra councillor N Nagaraj says pedestrians cannot walk freely as transformers are erected on footpaths. According to Neelasandra councillor Lokesh, power lines are hanging perilously in his ward. Padarayanapura councillor Nazni Begum says Bescom officials are slow in responding to public grievances. Gurappanapalya councillor Mohammed Rizwan says Bescom's high tension lines are running through a storm water drain.

At Castle Street in Ashok Nagar ward, a transformer is giving tense moments to road users. With the fuse boxes remaining dangerously exposed, it could prove lethal like a bomb. Twenty-four hours after an appeal from the BBMP standing committee in charge of ward-level works, Bescom has done nothing to address the issue and allay the fears of road users.

But do not fully blame the Bescom , officials plead. The steel fuse covers get repeatedly stolen. "How many times can one put the stuff," asks Sreenath, assistant executive engineer with Bescom's MG Road sub-division.

Who steals them? And how can this theft escape the eyes of officials? Is there no way of surveillance in the department? All these questions haunt city residents since the Castle Street case is not an isolated one.

On Monday, BBMP's standing committee chairman Srinivas inspected the street. Finding electricity wires hanging out on the road and the fuse boxes open, he said: "I have directed the officials to coordinate with Bescom officials and set right the problem as soon as possible."

On Tuesday, when DNA team made a reality check, it found the situation still dangerous.
"We have not received any communication so far from the BBMP's side on this issue," said Srinivas.

"They (BBMP) cut the road last year for repairs and the work was not completed. Patches of concrete were loosely poured over the potholes. A girl suffered fracture in the leg during a road accident. The wires have come out because of shoddy work. Every day, schoolchildren trip while crossing this stretch," said Mani Maran, a mechanic of a vehicle repair shop on Castle Street.

"We see so many small girls of our school who playfully walk through this road to reach out to the bus stop on Richmond Road and trip so many times. Why is it that the civic authorities have no sympathy for kids?," asked Divin Prabhu, a student of Cathedral school.

From the Richmond road-end to the Brigade road-end, the stretch is uneven with patch works over potholes. Electric wires hang low on the footpaths. Mounds of garbage add to the mess.

"Last year, the BBMP had dug up the road to fill the potholes. But the repair work was shoddy. Now bikers and pedestrians using this stretch are the worst sufferers," said Jagannath, another businessman who runs a shop on this street.

Bangalore streets are becoming traps thanks to half a dozen civic agencies who hardly coordinate while undertaking works resulting in frequent repairs. To be fair, say enlightened citizens, one cannot blame the Bescom alone. It is the state government that should give Bangalore an administration that befits its stature as India's most prestigious city.

Various agencies, who are service providers, do works independently, leaving umpteen scars on the shrinking public space. Add to this the lack of system and network to connect the beneficiaries and the picture is complete.

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