Special units will maintain roads in Bengaluru: Karnataka CM

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will establish a dedicated cell to maintain Bengaluru's roads and promptly patch any potholes. According to him, officials have been directed to patch damaged sections of the city's roadways and fill up over 6,000 potholes before the monsoon arrives at the end of this month. Siddaramaiah examined many areas of the city that flood during rainy seasons and assessed the level of preparations put in place to handle the issue before monsoon rainfall, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and a few other ministers and officials. According to the Chief Minister, a recent census by the Bengaluru city corporation found that there are 5,500 potholes on ward roads and 557 potholes on arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city. D.K. Shivakumar has instructed the BBMP Commissioner and Administrator to fill all of these potholes by the end of the current month. He further reported that there are 67 bad reaches in the city, and he has directed BBMP officers to immediately repair all of them. He said instructions have been given to set up a special cell at the BBMP and BDA to maintain the roads and fill potholes as soon as they occur. The Minister acknowledged that pre-monsoon showers from May 1 onward have been above normal, leading to flooding and water entering homes in some areas. He stated that Bangalore has 860 km of storm water drains, and when he was previously Chief Minister, 491 km were cleared of encroachments and redeveloped. The previous BJP government took steps to clear 193 km more in January 2023, with work to be completed by January 2025. He said that Rs 18 billion is being spent on the storm water drain project, with 174 km remaining, and the World Bank is set to provide around Rs 20 billion for the project. He noted that 12 cases related to the storm water drain project are currently pending in civil court, and steps are being taken to expedite the delayed works, conduct dredging, cut dead tree branches, repair pavements, prevent waste dumping, and desilt the drains before the monsoon arrives. Finally, he warned City Corporation engineers that they would be held responsible for any lapses. He acknowledged that Bangalore has a population of over 0.01 billion and 400 lakes, many of which have been encroached upon or silted up, and stated that instructions have been given to clear encroachments and desilt these lakes and their catchment areas.

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