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Potholes on Roads tarred one month back!!
anusree.kailash - 14 August, 2008 | Bangalore | Infrastructure | RTI | Road Works | Koramangala | Action | Road | Ejipura | Quality | Potholes
[Sep 5 spotlight post - an example for us to just go do it - read Anusree's experience {admin}]
An Arterial road in Ejipura got tarred in July. Within just 3-4 weeks there are major potholes on major junctions of the road.
One wonders ...
- What is the expected lifetime of a road?
- What are the specifications the road is supposed to be made with?
- What is the system in place to gauge whether the quality of the road is as per specifications?
- Who is responsible to answer for such roads?
- What is the value of the MLA promising tarring of roads and even getting it done when it is done to last hardly a month?
- What do we do about it?
[PS: Sep 2 - change the tone of the post from Complaint to Action {blr_editor}]
COMMENTS
here is how
silkboard - 14 August, 2008 - 20:46
This is what some of us will suggest
- Don't do it alone
- Get in touch with Koramangala RWA (Koramangala Initiative folks)
- File RTI applications (not as an individual, but as KI) to get the details of this work carried out
- Total cost
- Contractor details
- Quality commitments mentioned in the state of work
- Share response to RTI here and everywhere
Above wont do anything, but if 4-5 of us do this activity for all our areas, and do it a few times, folks will take note that we are watching.
However, mind you that there are enough "riders" that can be used by BBMP or the contractor to defend these potholes. Some that I have heard from a few first/second hand experiences
- Unexpected rains
- Heavy vehicles were allowed on this road, they shouldn't be
- Road was vandalized on purpose to tarnish our reputation
good advice
tsubba - 14 August, 2008 - 23:10
good advice SB. Anushree, folks at KI have experience in the trenches, literally and figuratively. leverage that.
Thanks...
anusree.kailash - 15 August, 2008 - 14:47
... a lot. Met some neighbors today who are also going to join me in taking action on this. Need to find out KWA and start working right away. I guess as time passed, the "riders" get more credibility. Thanks for getting me started!!! :D
specifications
blrpraj - 16 August, 2008 - 08:57
Anusree,
To answer 2 of your questions - what the specifications are & system in place for gauging the quality; the Indian Roads Congress is the enity that has the answers; you or your civic forum may have to buy those publications in order to be armed with better knowledge to tackle the problem effectively. I don't know if Karnataka PWD(or other city PWDs for that matter) is/are required by law to comply with IRC specifications or if those specifications are just suggested recommendations(anybody knows?) ->
quality control & contract management
http://www.irc.org.in/publicationforsale/preparation.htm
road design -
http://www.irc.org.in/publicationforsale/bituminous.htm
http://www.irc.org.in/publicationforsale/geometric.htm
Meeting to file RTI for this issue
anusree.kailash - 21 August, 2008 - 10:47
There is a meeting planned with Mr. Anil Kumar, convener of the RTI group Kria Katte (Karnataka Right To Information Activists (KRIA) Forum) to file an RTI to find out the details behind the current state of the road and to plan future steps in this regard as well.
Venue: At his residence (in Ejipura)
Time: 7:30PM
Date: 22nd Aug, Friday (tomorrow)
If you want to join please let me know. My number is 9886994367.
Anusree, I would not be able to attend but thanks for posting the invitation. BTW, if you think it would be suitable, can you please find out if KRIA needs an online presence? If they do, we will be glad to host them on Praja. Praja being a platform will provide to be a very useful tool for citizen groups to communicate, organise and document their work. -Shastri
MLA sending engineer today!
anusree.kailash - 2 September, 2008 - 04:34
Great news to share... Yesterday I contacted the BTM Layout constituency MLA Mr. Ramalinga Reddy and spoke about the condition of this road and asked his help and action. He is sending his engineer today to my house where my parents will show him the road to be repaired! 
I have my fingers crossed on this. Waiting for some results soon. Once this work starts am planning to propose some solutions to him to prevent bad quality roads. 
dont tar when it rains
blrsri - 2 September, 2008 - 05:57
Simple concept..do not asphalt roads when it rains!
No major road works from june-sept!
Why were these roads asphalted? so that the constractors can get additional work of filling up the potholes!
This is not just one place..bangalore roads all have developed deep wells and driving riding on them has made it a evertday WRC rally!
wow! good job anusree
silkboard - 2 September, 2008 - 06:09
You are setting an example for others. Way to go. Do keep us posted, and let us all know that (I hope) it was not has hard to get help/attention on the matter.
Did you get in touch with Honey as well?
fixing potholes
ssheragu - 3 September, 2008 - 02:52
ssheragu
one suggestion to fix potholes is to fill it with cement so that rains do not damage the filled pot holes
Srinath Heragu
will suggest cement to engineer
anusree.kailash - 3 September, 2008 - 07:15
Thank you for the suggestion. I will convey it to the engineer when he comes. Looks like with this big festival the engineer isnt coming till after few days.
By the way, Silkboard, it was totally easy to contact the MLA. I got his number from one of the articles on Citizen Matters: http://www.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/262-stbed-roads-meeting
Just dialled him up and told him I'm a resident of Ejipura...... He listened and noted down the points and said he'll call me back on this. Then he called back few hours later and told me he will send the engineer to my address and got my address and name noted.
No extra talk, no excuses and explanations... just next action forward. I was pleasantly surprised.
He's has texted Ganesha festival wishes lately :)
drainage is the bigger problem
murali772 - 3 September, 2008 - 11:52
Yes, Mr Ramalinga Reddy is a very highly approachable MLA. He is quite a man of his words also.
But, Anusree, the problem in your area, is not as much the roads as the drainage, very much like in ours also. However good the asphalting, if water is allowed to collect over it, the deterioration will be rapid. So, you need to focus more on drainage.
Muralidhar Rao
Functional Drains and concrete roads promised by engineer
anusree.kailash - 5 September, 2008 - 05:50
Today the Engineer Mr. Devaraj surveyed the road and met up with Abhilash and me. He has promised to build a drain which takes care of the flooding problem on this road and then to concrete the road.
Initially he requested 1-2 weeks time for the work to get started, but he called 15 minutes after the meeting to inform that he has already spoken to the contractor and work on the drain will start tomorrow.
Thank you all for the suggestions about the drainage and the concreting!!! Though the engineer already had it on his mind, we were better prepared for the meeting.
Praja team rocks!
Not very satisfactory
anusree.kailash - 18 September, 2008 - 16:07
Before and after photos are available at this link.
http://picasaweb.google.com/anusree.kailash/PotholesOnRoadTarredOneMonthBack
The road is definitely less of a pain, but this is not what was promised.
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