Another cave-in on Bengaluru road; second incident in 5 days
Another sinkhole appearing in IT hub Bengaluru, the second in less than a week, has renewed the debate on sub-standard infrastructure in the Karnataka capital.
A road in Karnataka capital Bengaluru developed a massive “sinkhole” days after a similar incident on the city's Brigade road. A small part of a freshly-laid road in Mahalakshmi Layout caved in on Tuesday, with the hole appearing to be around three feet wide.
The road was asphalted after a pipeline was laid only a couple of days ago, locals told news agency PTI. It caved in after impact from a heavy vehicle, which passed through the stretch and got stuck. Authorities have been informed of the incident and repair works are set to start soon.
The incident comes days after a biker got seriously injured after a three-metre-deep “sinkhole” appeared on Brigade road, where metro work is going on. This led to a fresh discussion on the city's below average infrastructure, with locals alleging "shoddy work" by civic agencies. The sinkholes have also caused traffic jams in some of the city's congested parts.
READ | Biker badly injured after massive sinkhole emerges on Bengaluru road
There have been several other instances in the ‘IT hub’ of late where concerns have been raised over newly opened roads and flyovers. These incidents have prompted the opposition Congress to take the Basavaraj Bommai-led government in Karnataka to task, levelling allegations of corruption against ministers.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala brought up the ‘40 percent sarkara’ jibe, writing a post on Twitter. "The sinkholes of Corruption of #40PercentSarkara are an unending mess and nightmare for civic amenities. The exit of Bommai Govt is the only solution to stop the nauseating stench of unending corruption," he tweeted.
Karnataka is set to hold assembly elections in April - May this year. In this light, the Congress has furthered their attacks against the ruling BJP, criticising them for allegedly hiring contractors who are accused of using low-quality raw materials to cut costs.
(With PTI inputs)