Bengaluru: The prolonged wait for mechanical road sweepers has once again come back to haunt the city. As torrential rain lashed the city Tuesday, major roads and flyovers were transformed into choke points, with hours-long traffic jams and waterlogging exposing the consequences of delayed road-cleaning measures. Accumulated garbage, silt and roadside dust along arterial and sub-arterial roads are suspected to have clogged shoulder drains, leaving rainwater with nowhere to go.The irony is hard to miss. Ahead of the southwest monsoon, Bengaluru North City Corporation had held a rain-preparedness meeting in May and directed officials to ensure that roads were swept regularly using mechanical sweepers. Yet, months later, the machines meant to keep the city’s major roads clean remain stuck in the trial and tendering stage.In the north corporation, commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar inspected a sweeping machine during a field trial in the second week of Sept. The demonstration was intended to assess whether the equipment could efficiently clean arterial and sub-arterial roads and meet the corporation’s requirements. Bengaluru South City Corporation, too, conducted trials earlier this month. Its technical evaluation committee, headed by former commissioner KN Ramesh, inspected mechanical sweepers near South End Circle in Jayanagar. The machines are being evaluated as part of the tender process.But while the corporations test machines, the city continues to battle the consequences of unclean roads. Tuesday’s downpour saw Electronics City, Hebbal, KR Market and Peenya flyovers experience severe congestion, while Shivajinagar, Tavarekere Metro station and HSR Layout reported waterlogging. At several locations, traffic police had to step in and clear blocked drains to restore the flow of rainwater. Hebbal flyover emerged as one of the worst-affected stretches, with commuters reportedly stranded until late at night.Severe waterlogging was also reported from MG Road, Palace Guttahalli, Okalipuram, RT Nagar, Chamarajpet, Halasuru, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Shivajinagar, KG Halli, Madivala and Mico Layout. As the congestion on the roads worsened, traffic cops attended to the problem. While at some junctions constables themselves waded through the waterlogged stretches to clear the choked drains, traffic wardens, volunteers and contract workers were deployed in many places for the same purpose.For commuters, the ordeal was compounded by pothole-riddled and poorly restored roads. Michel N, a 28-year-old commuter travelling from Richmond Circle to Kudlu Gate, said dug-up roads had not been properly restored, leaving deep potholes and craters almost invisible under rainwater.—–Inset Box:Anger on social mediaPranav (@pranav_cool): 𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜s 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥. Why does this happen 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬? Is it poor drainage, blocked outlets, or inadequate capacity? And what’s the 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐱?Mohammed Rehman (@rehmank3): Tavarekere Metro Station is severely flooded due to poor drainage and maintenance. This isn’t a new issue. Authorities have tried fixing it multiple times, but the problem keeps returning.Avinash Bengaluru (@meavinash6262): The sad state of yet to be opened namma metro station of pink line -Tavarekere. How can even passengers alight or board a train if this is the situation whenever it rains.Satya (@solidview): If flyovers can’t drain properly during rains, what chance do tunnel roads have, Bengaluru? Think about this and importantly. Bengaluru needs reliable public transport, not car-only Tunnel Roads.
