After the heartburn caused to affected residents when a Metro route was realigned to steer clear of Jayadeva Hospital comes another instance of BMRCL’s roughshod ways – and one that could potentially cause havoc to the city’s water distribution system.
This time, a small portion of Metro Phase II at the RV Road
terminal, the starting point of the 18.82 km RV Road-Bommasandra line,
has been realigned and local residents are worried over the high
probability of damage to major water distribution lines in the area.
Their fears are not without reason: Five Metro pillars will come up
right on top of the distribution lines for BWSSB’s Cauvery stages I, II
and III, and the proposed station will cover all three lines. These
lines supply water to the entire city. Water from the three Cauvery
stages is pumped from Torekadinahalli on Kanakapura Road to these lines,
from where water is routed to the reservoir of the area concerned.
BWSSB has already communicated its objection over the realignment
to BMRCL, stating that it would be impossible to relocate the
distribution lines.
The earlier Metro alignment through 5th Block, Jayanagar, was
shifted to the opposite side after residents protested over the
demolition of properties and the felling of around 160 trees. Residents
of 5th Block had protested over the previous alignment in May, and had a
detailed interaction with BMRCL. They were informed in July about the
realignment.
The alignment has now been shifted to 8th Block, between 3rd and
4th Main roads, close to Lakshman Rau Park where the BWSSB pumping
station is located. The new line starts from 36th Cross, between 3rd and
4th Main roads, and the station will be spread on either side of 38th
Cross, 4th Main road. The line will cross over the existing Metro Phase I
line from Kanakapura Road to RV Road at 4th Main road.
Incidentally, the new Jayanagar alignment is part of the Phase II
line that would have cut through Jayadeva Hospital. There, the
interlinking stations (RV Road-Bommasandra and Gottigere-Nagavara) and
the alignment were changed to save a portion of the hospital, resulting
in a public outcry from the occupants of 98 properties that are marked
for demolition. But BMRCL refused to budge from its decision.
Some months ago, when BMRCL was carrying out soil testing near the
BWSSB pumping station in Jayanagar, BWSSB area engineer Somashekar
noticed the development and wrote to his bosses and the Metro
authorities that any Metro line there would affect the
water distribution lines.
Area residents who saw soil testing being carried out in their lane
initially did not cotton on to the change in alignment. Subsequent
enquiries with BMRCL and Metro consultant RITES (Rail India Technical
and Economic Service) gave them a clearer picture. After numerous
applications filed under RTI and a prolonged delay, they obtained the
realignment map from BMRCL which confirmed their fears, says K
Jayasimha, a resident whose house is located bang opposite the proposed
RV Road terminal. Bangalore Mirror too has obtained documents pertaining
to the
realignment.
``Normally, piling is done when the foundation for pillars has to
be taken at least 20 metres down. Since the piers have to be taller as
the line crosses the existing Phase I line, the piling will have to go
down even deeper. One particular pier is alarmingly close to the BWSSB
distribution lines and the area engineer has brought the issue to the
notice of authorities. The water lines will not be able to withstand the
major piling work done near the pumphouse,’’ said R Murali, one of the
oldest residents of the area, who works for a PSU.
Though there is not much difference in the number of properties
affected by the earlier and the new alignment, local residents are sore
over the fact that the previous alignment was altered to save 160 trees
but BMRCL is now not considering something as vital as major water
supply lines.
In fact, to ascertain the number of trees that would be felled
along the new alignment, Murali got down to counting each tree along the
changed route. The result was surprising: as against the 160 trees that
would have been axed for the original alignment through Jayanagar 5th
Block, the new one through 8th Block will spell the death of 180 trees!
Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, BWSSB assistant executive engineer
Somashekar said, “I have corresponded with my chief engineer as well as
BMRCL after seeing the test pits. But there has been no response from
BMRCL.”
Source: http://to.ly/mbka
