As terracotta tiles break, MUDA begins Rs. 25 lakh project to put red oxide concrete top on Torchlight Parade Grounds compound

Mysore/Mysuru: Years back, MUDA put terracotta tiles on the compound wall of the famed Torchlight Parade Grounds at Bannimantap to beautify it. Now the same MUDA is removing the terracotta tiles and putting a concrete top and painting it with red oxide. And the cost of this project is Rs. 25 lakh. 

Reason: Terracotta tiles are fragile and constantly break causing a maintenance issue. 

But the public are asking why the terracotta tiles were first of all planned. Didn’t MUDA  authorities realise that terracotta tiles will break after some years? 

Local residents say that the new MUDA project to replace terracotta tiles with cement top and apply red oxide on it is a sheer waste of money and could be avoided during pandemic time. “Wastage of public money must be prevented. Let better sense prevail,” said a resident while another said it was a good move by the MUDA.    

Surprisingly, even after two months of the works being initiated, MUDA Commissioner Dr. D.B. Natesh said the work on compound wall has not come to his notice. “I will check with the engineer and get more details,” he told Star of Mysore. 

With Dasara round the corner, MUDA has taken up beautification works. Till now, to restore the beauty of the compound wall of the Torchlight Parade Grounds, MUDA was doing patchwork to replace broken tiles. 

Since the last two years, even the patchwork has not been undertaken, spoiling the beauty of the compound wall. All of the terracotta tiles will now be replaced with cement plaster, as a permanent solution. 

The replacement work has been going on since the last two months starting from South Gate. More than 15 labourers are seen involved in the work. Already 50 percent of the works have been completed and the remaining work will be completed in October.

One of the workers at the spot told SOM this morning that they have been on the job since mid-July. “We started removing old tiles from the South Gate and now we are working in the East Gate. 15 to 20 labourers are working on the project,” he said. 

“A lot of damaged tiles can be seen on the wall located towards St.Philomena’s College Road. The cement top with red oxide gives a fresh look to the compound wall. As there is no Dasara finale parade this year, our work has become easy,” the worker added.    

The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 25 lakh and MUDA has awarded the tender for Rs. 20,42,274. Contractor Chandrashekar is supervising the  works. MUDA Assistant Executive Engineer J. Narendra Babu said that as terracotta tiles had become a maintenance issue, cementing work is done. 

“This will add beauty and sturdiness. The West Gate is 178 meters, East Gate is 418 metres North Gate is 278 meters and the South Gate is 304 meters. We are hoping to complete the remaining work in 20 days,” he added.