No digging of newly asphalted roads for one year

Bengaluru: Newly asphalted roads in Bengaluru must not be dug up for at least one year under any circumstances, Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar, Additional Commissioner (Development) of the Bengaluru East City Corporation, has directed officials.

She issued the instructions during a review meeting on road development, road subsidence, pothole repairs, stormwater drains, underground drainage systems, manhole installation and levelling, and ongoing works by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM). She expressed displeasure over delays in implementing earlier directions.

All works must be completed on priority, and officials must take prompt measures to address road and infrastructure problems faced by the public, she said.Sudhakar directed officials to immediately repair road stretches dug up by the BWSSB at Seegehalli, Basavanapura, along the Outer Ring Road, Green Glen Layout, Bellandur Main Road and Devarabeesanahalli, and submit a report. Potholes and road subsidence must be addressed without delay, while damaged stretches must be restored in coordination with the concerned departments.

She stressed that road works must meet quality standards and that appropriate technical measures must be taken to prevent roads from sinking again after repairs or reconstruction. Agencies responsible for substandard work will have to bear the restoration costs, she said. Waterlogging at Kamadhenu Nagar and the Hydrosite Corridor–Varthur Road junction has been a recurring problem. The BWSSB, B-SMILE and other concerned agencies have been asked to conduct a joint inspection and identify a technical solution.

Officials were also directed to expedite the installation of precast manholes and ensure that manhole covers are level with the road surface. The boundary of the stormwater drain near the Varthur Kodi–Balagere sewage treatment plant (STP) must also be identified.

Pending BWSSB works involving road cutting, water leakage, underground drainage and road restoration must be completed quickly. Officials must ensure that approvals, technical inspections and other procedures required for the works do not cause unnecessary delays. BESCOM and other departments must coordinate to resolve bottlenecks in implementing projects. Officials have been asked to continuously monitor pending works, ensure completion within stipulated deadlines and submit progress reports detailing action taken, outstanding work and timelines for completion.

To improve public convenience, traffic flow, road connectivity and infrastructure, officials must identify private roads and examine the feasibility of alternative connecting roads to ease congestion on major routes.

Before any road is declared a public road, prior approval must be obtained from the Town Planning Department, followed by a technical assessment and action in accordance with the applicable rules and guidelines.

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