Roads dug to clean the drainage pipes choked with indiscriminate waste.
By Swati Ekka
The overcrowded roads in Chickpet Market hase been a work in progress for past one year, as Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) continues to dig roads to clean the choked sewage lines under the roads.
Commuters and pedestrians face difficulties while walking on the uneven pathways.
“Three days ago the road was filled with waste and water from asewage line. There was no space for walking. As vehicles moved by, the dirty water spilled and reached the pedestrians. The roads are in an extremely dismal condition.”
“People from BWSSB have dug the road at many places to clean the choked underground pipes. After the pipeline is cleaned and the waste is removed, the roads are not reconstructed, leaving huge pits on the road. These pits haven’t been filled since one year and concerned authorities have not taken initiative to fill the gaps and reconstruct the road,” said Kishore, a shop owner on Chickpet main road.
B.M Manjunath, Public Relations Officer, BWSSB, said, “The wet waste will be removed as soon as it dries up, as it is difficult to move wet waste from one place to another.
The work is in progress, we are trying our best to clean the drainage system. If we stop, the pipeline will be jammed and the water will back flow and flood the roads.
Mahavir Ramesh, another shop owner, said, “We get a lot of difficulty in bringing our lorry near to our shop for unloading our goods as there are lots of potholes here. We are facing this problem since one year.
“Every time BWSSB come to work it digs the road to reach the pipe they leave that area as it is and do not even bother to cover it, for safety. No ‘work in progress’ boards have been put up.”
MN Sreehari, a traffic expert, said, “There is a lack of coordination between BBMP and BWSSB, the communication between both the departments is not smooth—which is the main reason for delay in construction.”
