Unclaimed and abandoned material

BANGALORE: To make the infrastructure of the city better,  the authorities have taken up almost all the possible initiatives from laying drain pipes to setting-up recycling plants with all the possible modern amenities. Ever wondered what happens once the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) meets its project’s end?One such tale is that of the massive cylindrical concrete pipes lying across the city. These pipes are used for laying underground drainage system which carries the sewage from the city to the treatment plants. The reinforced concrete pipes that are left unattended are worth a hefty amount. The BWSSB authorities seem to have abandoned  these pipes on the roads since time immemorial. There are around 50 pipes lying in the entire stretch of Annaswamy Mudaliar Road and on the nearby footpaths. These pipes have now become shelter for cattle, a playground for street children as well as a home for beggars. To add to it locals have also begun disposing off garbage in these pipes.The footpaths which are meant for the pedestrians to walk on seem to have become the store house for such civic bodies as more often than not they end up leaving pipes, and other construction material unattended on the footpaths. According to the residents of the area, the pipes in question have been lying on the footpaths for almost a year now. However,  no one is quite sure as to why or for what purpose were the pipes brought there in the first place itself. “None of us know what these pipes are meant for. They have been lying here for a very long time and have become a nuisance,” said  Sandhya, a resident. When the chief engineer for BWSSB was contacted for the same, he seemed oblivious to the matter. On the other hand, SR Rudra Murthy, additional chief engineer, BWSSB said that the pipes have probably been brought to the location by the BBMP. “It is probably meant to re-divert the sewage pipelines.”There are a number of problems related to projects taken up by civic bodies in the city. More often than not the projects miss a number of deadlines, and once the project is finally accomplished, the left over construction materials are left strewn all across the area where the work took place. The lackadaisical  attitude of the civic bodies in the city bears testimony to the disregard and irresponsibility of the civic bodies towards the tax payer’s hard earned money.