This is a blog post that has been a while in the making -- coming out of the copious amounts of driving that I have been doing in Namma Benguluru over the last few years.
Here is the typical trend: For months on end, roads either exist in name only or not even that way -- they are kachcha. Then, an election is announced and overnight roads get made and tarred. Not end-to-end, of course, because what's life without a few bumps and roller coaster rides. The ends, i.e., where the roads meet each other are left undone. Still, something is better than nothing think the hapless drivers who have been trashing their cars on mud roads or craters.
Within two weeks of the new road being tarred, along come the cable and pipe layers and *systematically* dig up the roads, 'working' on them for a few days and then just disappearing. The end result is that we are back to square one -- a road that either exists in name only or not at all.
Which brings me to my point. Private citizens don't dig public roads. All digging is done by some government agency (water, electricity, ...). How hard is it for the agencies to simply *talk* to each other so that the digging/road-laying sequence can be done right? At the very least, if the road laying agency publishes a schedule of estimated road-laying times, the other agencies can raise a red flag if they plan work under any of those in the near future, and negotiate time-lines.
A little bit of planning and coordination will go a long way in saving taxpayer money, improving service delivery and positively impacting the lives of citizens.
Here is the typical trend: For months on end, roads either exist in name only or not even that way -- they are kachcha. Then, an election is announced and overnight roads get made and tarred. Not end-to-end, of course, because what's life without a few bumps and roller coaster rides. The ends, i.e., where the roads meet each other are left undone. Still, something is better than nothing think the hapless drivers who have been trashing their cars on mud roads or craters.
Within two weeks of the new road being tarred, along come the cable and pipe layers and *systematically* dig up the roads, 'working' on them for a few days and then just disappearing. The end result is that we are back to square one -- a road that either exists in name only or not at all.
Which brings me to my point. Private citizens don't dig public roads. All digging is done by some government agency (water, electricity, ...). How hard is it for the agencies to simply *talk* to each other so that the digging/road-laying sequence can be done right? At the very least, if the road laying agency publishes a schedule of estimated road-laying times, the other agencies can raise a red flag if they plan work under any of those in the near future, and negotiate time-lines.
A little bit of planning and coordination will go a long way in saving taxpayer money, improving service delivery and positively impacting the lives of citizens.
If everything is done systematically, and in a planned manner.......we are going to have a lot of sad/disgruntled people
ReplyDelete1. The road laying contractors
2. local politicians who need money from these contractors to fund their political aspirations
3. Engineers/decision makers within these organisations who have business interests in this road laying business
4. Car Dealerships and repair shops (how can we forget these guys.... the sooner your vehicles gives up sooner you return and give them business)
5. Last but not the least... our two wheelers/autos/cabbies heroes... who just want to have some fun making everyone else's life hell
And guess what, I noticed these guys have filled up one pothole nearby.... right upto the spot another one started, and just have just left
Planning is wishful thinking. I will tell you what happens in Delhi... the city of the world's costliest Commonwealth games. This road was built up in early January this year in front of my housing complex. It looked beautiful, smooth, the best piece of public work ever done in the city. But it was a mirage. 3 months later, the road was gone. All that was remaining were pebbles on top of hard stones and a rocky foundation. Even when no digging work has ever been done on this road, the road is in shambles. Sad story, yet it can be seen in almost all parts of this city.
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