JC Nagar Road will be opened to public

BANGALORE: Civic bodies in the city have been very actively functioning for the past few weeks. Be it filling potholes at supersonic pace or fixing leaks, they have not only raised the expectations that people have in them but have also set a high bar for the future. However,  a joint venture by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) carried its hopes along with it. But it was not to be so.Work on JC Nagar Road started approximately five months ago on the pretext of laying sanitary pipes and reconstruction of the road. But reconstruction seems to have taken a new meaning as the work in progress seems to forever be ‘in progress’. The deplorable state of the road is truly realised when one takes a walk through it. Starting with the mud to the concrete to the huge blocks of stone, there are several obstacles that one faces before reaching his/her destination.A shopkeeper, on the condition of anonymity, informed City Express that the business has been low ever since the road was shut down. “Imagine the road staying closed for over five months. Imagine the kind of effect it has on the business. Our profits have gone down. This is how we earn our bread and butter. It is not fair.”The road connects RT Nagar to Jayamahal, Mekhri Circle and other nearby localities. Its importance lies in the fact traffic towards RT Nagar does not need to be diverted to Jayamahal Road which not only reduces the traffic problems but also avoids a delay for the travellers. However, the galore of problems seem to be never-ending. The project has an estimated budget of Rs 99 lakh.Arpita, a resident, said, “It’s high time that they finished the work. Despite having started almost half a year ago, the work still is paced very slow. What the authorities don’t realise is the way in which our regular life is affected each and everyday. We cannot live in this mess anymore.” Rain worsens matters multifold. The road is left with mini-pools of water which make walking through the road an adventure. Well, an adventure which no one really looks forward to. The BWSSB assistant executive engineer of the area was unavailable  for comments. Sources from the BBMP said their part of the work was complete. Ramesh, the local corporator of the area, remarked, “The men are hard at work. The delay was due to the lack of the sanitary pipes available. The road  will be opened to the public on November 22. It will be a two way street.”