Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

Bengaluru

monsoon

Lee Meridian under pass

Kodagehalli

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Tree uprooted in Cubbon Park

By Y Maheswara ReddyIf Robert Frost was alive today and living in Bengaluru, he would probably write a poem called The Roads Not To Be Taken. Bengaluru’s chaotic roads assume an ominous character when the rainy season begins. From past experience, the Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP) has identified 43 roads which will be waterlogged and difficult to use during the rains as a note of caution to theand commuters.While there’s been no confirmation on how the BBMP will handle the inadequate road infrastructure that causes traffic chaos, the BTP has released a list of underpasses and roads that are most likely to be affected by the rains. If your daily routes happen to be on these roads, you might have to think of an alternative route.“We have prepared a list of roads which are likely to be affected by water logging during the monsoon. Two months ago we submitted this list to the BruhatMahanagara Palike (BBMP). It is the responsibility of the BBMP to take suitable measures to ensure that there is no water logging at underpasses during the,’’ says Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) P Harisekharan.It may be recalled that ADCP (Traffic) had advised traffic policemen last month not to wait for the BBMP to clear fallen trees and clogged drains near the underpasses but to get to work themselves. He had said that bad infrastructure like encroached footpaths, badly maintained roads and clogged drains had led to waterlogging and traffic chaos. Pre-monsoon showers had exposed the BBMP’s unpreparedness for the monsoon. The traffic police had a tough task clearing traffic jams at the underpasses, flooded with rain water.Appreciating the BTP for preparing the list of roads and underpasses known for waterlogging, M N Srihari, a traffic expert, said that the BBMP had not taken adequate measures to prevent water logging at critical junctions and underpasses in Bengaluru.“I am happy to know about the BTP’s initiative. It will help the BBMP to act accordingly. I want the BBMP engineers to ensure that drains near underpasses and roads are free from debris and garbage to ensure that rain water flows into them without any obstruction. There are many drains and roads near underpasses full of debris and garbage. I want the BBMP authorities to focus on these roads,’’ says Srihari.After repeated instances of traffic chaos due to waterlogging, the BTP has prepared a list of 43 roads and underpasses where traffic can come to a standstill when it rains in Bengaluru. The traffic engineering cell (TEC) of the BBMP will have to prepare a plan to prevent traffic jams in the city.“I have received the list of roads and underpasses known for waterlogging during the monsoon and forwarded this to the executive engineers of the road infrastructure department,’’ says BBMP TEC executive engineer Praveen Lingaiah.BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad has said that all efforts are being made to mitigate monsoon-related woes. “The BBMP has already begun work on some of the roads and underpasses known for waterlogging during monsoon,’’ said Prasad.