BWSSB applies temporary brakes on work at Basavanagudi

TNN, Sep 15, 2010

BANGALORE: Workers are off the site and no work in sight. A day after the unfortunate accident outside Basavanagudi post office building that killed 27-year-old worker Shantanu, BWSSB has temporarily abandoned utility shifting work along this stretch.

"We have halted work on this stretch as investigations into the accident are on. Our team will also investigate the spot on Thursday, after which we will take a call on carrying out the work here," BWSSB chief engineer T Venkatraju told TOI. BWSSB has also promised compensation to Shantanu's family through the contractor.

The board decided to lay new pipes from Basavanagudi police station to post office as the old lines could not be removed. On Tuesday, the welding works were in progress when a section of the post office compound wall collapsed.

The post office authorities have lodged a complaint with the Basavanagudi police station. "Both BBMP and BWSSB have promised to restore the compound but the abandoned work has put us into inconvenience as portions of the wall are still weak," post office staff said on Wednesday.

`PROMISE US SAFETY'

Work on laying the new pipelines continued outside the adjacent East West School. A fringe of this 50-year-old school building was already put on a loose hold when a portion of its six-foot compound wall was razed down. No precautionary steps were taken by either the BBMP or BWSSB. However, following Tuesday's accident, a temporary barricade with pole and metal sheets was erected around its excavated premises.

"For now, we are safe. We did not allow the BBMP/BWSSB to proceed with the digging unless they promised us some safety. There's a class right on the edge. Though we have shifted it elsewhere, we still need to be doubly cautious considering what happened recently," said school principal Anasuya Ramachandra.

VIOLATION OF GUIDELINES

After the accident, the voices are getting louder. One RTI activist is now writing to Union minister Jaipal Reddy to look deeper into the anomalies in the projects taken up under Jawharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)projects in the city.

According to the JNNURM guidelines, public opinion is a `compulsory' requisition to take up any project. Despite the initial protests and series of letter exchanges, an RTI reply confirms that there was no public consultation before taking up the project.

"It's a gross violation of the guidelines prescribed for JNNURM projects," S Amaresh, managing trustee of RTI Study Centre told TOI.

VOICES UNHEARD

In the past also, protests were held at all levels ever since the project was taken up. The protesters had also involved prominent citizens and even the local MLA Hema Chandra Sagar. On November 5, 2008, Hema Chandrasagar had even written to CM and Bangalore in charge ministers saying that the project was unwanted.
In another letter dated November 19, 2008, minister Suresh Kumar had asked the BBMP commissioner to take up the project only after public consultation.