Bengaluru's civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is under scrutiny for alleged 'copy-paste job' in the Rs 9.5 crore tunnel road Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by New Delhi-based Rodic Consultants Private Limited.
The DPR outlines the construction of an underground vehicular tunnel from Hebbal Esteem Mall junction to Central Silk Board junction. The report was completed in a record three months.
In the executive summary of the draft DPR, on page 29, where traffic volume counts at major junctions in Bengaluru, incorrectly mentions cities from Maharashtra, allegedly due to a copy-paste job.
“Nine cordon points were identified to understand the traffic characteristics in the study area. The analysis of the classified volume count survey at the cordon points is provided in the sub-sections below. The total inbound and outbound traffic flow at each cordon is presented in the table, and the daily traffic at each cordon point, categorised by direction”, the report said.
Also, read: Rodic Consultants to prepare DPR for Bengaluru's first tunnel road; to submit report in two months
For example: AH-47 Malur Road (Science Gallery): direction 1: Malegaon to Nashik City, direction 2: Nashik City to Malegaon, Guttahalli Main Road (near Uniworth Plaza): direction 1: Malegaon to Nashik City, direction 2: Nashik City to Malegaon, NR Road (near Silver Jubilee Park): direction I: Malegaon to Nashik, direction 2: Nashik City to Malegaon. Both Malegaon and Nashik are cities in Maharashtra.
Rajkumar Dugar, a citizen activist, posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Meticulous planning for TRP Tunnel Road Project... Should we cry or laugh? @DKShivakumar, who made and vetted this DPR, Sir". Another netizen, Rinidhi (@blrsri), wrote on X: "This shows how numbers are just randomly retrofitted to surveys/DPR in the state!"
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath and Rodic Consultants Private Limited were unavailable for comment. A senior BBMP official said that they would look into the 'gaffes' in the DPR. "We will investigate this and take appropriate action".
The DPR states: "Classified vehicle count, origin and destination, and turning movement count have been conducted at numerous locations. The locations have been selected to capture real traffic trends that directly and indirectly affect our project. The traffic surveys have been extended to a larger area outside of our project."
Also, read: Bengaluru civic body to borrow Rs 19,000 crore for tunnel road project
According to the feasibility report, the North-South Corridor, starting from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board KSRP Junction, is planned as an underground vehicular tunnel with three intermediate ramps for entry and exit into the main tunnel. The alignment will directly connect Hebbal and Silk Board Junctions, with intermediate ramps at Mekhri Circle, Racecourse, and Lalbagh. Travel time will be reduced from about 90 minutes to 20 minutes.
"The main objective of the project is to provide safe and efficient service levels to growing traffic movements and better connectivity between Silk Board Junction and Esteem Mall Junction," the report states.
Meanwhile, BBMP had also hired another consultant Altinok Consulting for feasibility study along the same corridor at Rs 4.7 crore. In contrast, Bengaluru Metro's 37-km Hebbal-Sarjapur corridor DPR was prepared by RINA Consulting. Metro's DPR, costing Rs 1.5 crore, was submitted to BMRCL in a year.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar has been advocating for the construction of tunnel roads, a move that experts say could potentially incentivise the use of private vehicles in a city already burdened by traffic congestion.
Also, read: 'Brand Bengaluru' caught between DK Shivakumar’s vanity projects and city's crumbling infra
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
