Re-asphalting perfectly good road costs tax-payers money

Mysore/Mysuru: The grand plans to develop the 850-metre stretch of D. Devaraja Urs Road in the heart of Mysuru city to resemble the Brigade Road in Bengaluru has run into rough weather with the contractor executing sub-standard works. The contractor has not undertaken the asphalting works in a 400-metre stretch as per the set standard and now he has been asked by PWD Executive Engineer (EE) Raju and Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra to re-do the work. The development work has been stalled now and the contractor will resume work tomorrow.   

The D. Devaraj Urs Road runs from K.R. Circle to the JLB Road Junction and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) wanted to give a Brigade-Road-like look for the stretch and planned a project worth a whopping Rs. 8 crore that includes end-to-end asphalting of the D. Devaraj Urs Road and the adjacent link roads, laying of box drains and beautifying the footpath.

However, following complaints of substandard asphalting work, PWD Executive Engineer Raju, who inspected the road on the night of Apr. 9, found the contractor at fault for carrying out the work in haste without any regard for quality.

Interestingly, this incident is not an isolated case as similar sub-standard works have been completed in a hurry in the past too.

Inspection after complaints

Inspecting the road, Raju removed a half-inch thick layer of tar up to 40 metres with the help of an earth-moving vehicle. Similar substandard work was executed in a 400-metre stretch. Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Raju said that the binding work and the asphalt-laying work were not up to standards.

“The contractor had told us that he would carry out the works during the night as it is a rush hour during day time and a lot of vehicles would be parked on the busy road. We allowed the contractor to execute the work after dark but he has done shoddy work. We have asked him to re-do the 400-metre stretch and he will comply as per the tender condition,” Raju said.

MLA intervenes

According to Raju, complaints were received from locals about the tar coming out at certain places, prompting the inspection and subsequent action. Hearing about the lapse, Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra too visited the road and inspected the works.

“All the development works in Chamaraja have been carried out as per standards and there has been no compromise. We will not tolerate lapses as such sub-standard works dent the image of city. The shoddy works have been stopped now and the contractor will re-do the road from tomorrow,” MLA told SOM.

Equitable allocation of resources

Meanwhile, the hasty road construction and repair works have sparked public criticism. Many are alleging that instead of addressing the roads that need immediate attention, the authorities have focused only on partially good or fine roads.

Furthermore, some have accused the officials of choosing narrow roads in certain areas for repairs rather than prioritising routes that have heavy traffic. These concerns highlight the need for a more transparent and equitable allocation of resources for infrastructure development and maintenance.

The lack of quality in the road laying or asphalting works is a major concern for the public as it not only wastes taxpayer money but also causes inconvenience to road users. Additionally, the lack of proper supervision and quality checks during the construction process is exacerbating the issue.