Bengaluru: Labour crunch delays smart makeover of 14 CBD roads

BENGALURU: First it was Covid-19 and now it’s the poor condition of roads that’s affecting traders in central business district (CBD). Fourteen stretches are meant to be redeveloped under the Smart City project but work is progressing at a snail’s pace due to shortage of labourers, say officials.
Traversing the dug-up roads is a nightmare for both commuters and pedestrians, say traders, adding that reduced customer flow has dented sales.Bengaluru, which was the last city from the state to be chosen for the Smart City project, has been able to use only Rs 10 crore of the Rs 210 crore allocated for road work. The project finally saw the light of day in March but was halted in less than 15 days due to the pandemic outbreak.

With Commercial Street having been dug up for quite some time, traders are a worried lot. Ramesh Kamal, a textile trader, said his family has been using their savings to survive the pandemic. “We are glad that shops are open but sales are very low. Nobody wants to come here as there’s no road to even walk safely. Also, people don’t want to park their vehicles far away,” said Kamal.
Mohammed Nazim Khan, a perfume trader on Infantry Road, said bulk buyers have stopped visiting his shop. “Vehicles have been barred from entering the road because of ongoing work. How will my suppliers or buyers reach here?” he rued.
Recently, BBMP’s new administrator Gaurav Gupta and Bengaluru Smart City Limited MD Hephsiba Rani Korlapati inspected the 14 roads being revamped under the project.
To the officials’ dismay, their vehicles had a tough time negotiating the unmotorable roads. “The officials were upset. With every major road in CBD barricaded, they had to take alternative streets and even walk to reach some places,” said a source privy to the visit.
“We walked along Queens Road and Infantry Road, which are in a pathetic condition. The critical task of laying pipes, however, has already been completed,” said Korlapati, adding: “We are unable to make progress due to non-availability of onsite labourers.”
Korlapati said the biggest challenge they are facing is ensuring coordination between labourers, supervisors and contractors. “There are cases of labourers having tested positive for Covid-19 and their supervisors getting infected as well. This is delaying the work,” she said.
“A dedicated team of engineers is required to speed up the work and we have requested the government for the same,” said Korlapati, adding: “The delay will have other effects. Many construction equipment, which have been rented, will be lying idle but we will still be billed for them...Our mission is to revamp these 14 roads by December.”
Gaurav Gupta said the reduced width of carriageways is inconveniencing motorists. “Proper management will facilitate faster completion of work. I have held many meetings with officials and there’s scope for improvement,” he said.