Finally, relief in sight for Hebbal, Koorgalli industrial belt?

Mysore/Mysuru: After years of neglect, the main roads in Mysuru’s Hootagalli, Koorgalli and Hebbal Industrial Area are finally set for a major overhaul.  The Hootagalli City Municipal Council (CMC) has completed the tender process for 20 infrastructure projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 crore.

Several roads in Hebbal Industrial Area have not been asphalted for years, leading to the formation of deep potholes that pose a serious risk to commuters.

Accidents occur almost daily, with two- wheeler riders frequently sustaining injuries, particularly on the stretch from the Damden Apartment on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to Automotive Axles Limited, which is in a deplorable condition.

Industrialists have said that despite repeatedly seeking repairs over the past three years, there was little progress, as the Hootagalli CMC and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) allegedly

evaded responsibility, often blaming each other for the poor state of infrastructure.

Road upgradation

Key upgradation projects include the widening and upgrading of the 4.7-km stretch from the Automotive Axles Limited junction near Koorgalli on KRS Road to the Hebbal Ring Road Junction and the 1-km double road from the Bharat Cancer Hospital signal on Hebbal Ring Road to Infosys.

While administrative and technical approvals have already been obtained, financial clearance from the Deputy Commissioner-headed Committee is expected this week. Once the final nod is given, work orders will be issued to the successful bidders, with all 20 projects likely to begin simultaneously next week.

Hootagalli City Municipal Council Commissioner C. Chandrashekar told Star of Mysore that the projects mark a long- awaited transformation of the industrial belt.

For years, despite collecting annual taxes from industries, the Hootagalli CMC and KIADB failed to maintain roads, drains, streetlights and sanitation in these industrial pockets.

The resulting pothole-ridden roads severely hampered movement for employees, residents and industrialists alike. During monsoon, water-filled craters led to frequent accidents, while garbage dumping and overgrown weeds worsened unhygienic conditions.

The road leading to Infosys, currently a dual carriageway, will be widened into four-lane with concrete box drains on both sides, central median and streetlights, at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh.

Similarly, the 2.4-km stretch between Hebbal Ring Road and the Automotive Axles junction will be widened to 7 metres, with box drains on both sides, at a cost of Rs. 4.99 crore.

Other works include the construction of stormwater drains near the Hootagalli market ground, drainage from the ‘Aralimara’ in Koorgalli to the KIADB double road, drains from the Milk Dairy main road to the old Aranya Bhavan Circle and several underground drainage, stormwater and water-supply pipeline projects across Hootagalli, Belavadi and Koorgalli.