The roads dug up in several areas in the city to facilitate the underground cabling and beautification drive are giving the citizens the jitters.
The GVMC has allocated ₹1,000 crore for the Smart City project of which more than ₹130 crore has been earmarked for road beautification works alone.
The beautification project is being implemented over a stretch of 20 km. Apart from construction of pavements, the project covers development of greenery, laying of cycle tracks and round-the-clock underground water supply lines. Residents allege that the GVMC is tuning a cold shoulder to the ground realities. They say that several roads have been dug up for underground cabling works which is moving at a snail’s pace.
“The works have been stopped as the project is under review. Recently, the GVMC people dug some more roads to lay water pipelines. But the pipelines were laid some five years ago and the officials were clueless. They set it aside by saying that they did not have the old plans,” says Uday Shirname, president of Kirlampudi Residents Welfare Association.
The roads have become dangerous as the dug-up parts have been left as such, says Shabnam Patel, a resident.