Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of roads?
Who is responsible for providing good roads?
What are the different types of drains?
How does India fare vis-à-vis international standards for roads, footpaths and drains?
What is the current road cutting protocol?
Which agency is responsible for the road cutting?
Where does the money for roads come from? Who makes decisions on which roads get done?
What is the process once a work has been included in the POW?
What about the works that are not completed on time?
How do citizens know what works have been planned and what the status of each workis?
What is the role of the citizens to ensure the proper selection and implementation of works?
Are there any guides for citizens to get involved in such a process in other areas?
Back to Roads, Footpaths and Drains
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Typically, when any urban development is planned, one of the first planning activities is the road networks. The planning process takes into account various factors:
• Connectivity between interior residential roads, main arterial roads and the highways
• Volume of traffic anticipated
• Public transport available
Accordingly, the type, width and quality of the road are decided. However, this process cannot be followed where there is ad-hoc development, or where new localities are added to the city jurisdiction.
What are the different types of roads?
In Bangalore city currently, there are three primary types of roads:
Mud roads: These are found in some areas of the city.
Asphalted roads: A majority of the roads in the city are asphalted. The thickness of the layer of jelly (WBM) and the layer of black top (asphalt) dictates the quality of the road. The thickness is maximum on highways, then on the connector roads and least on the residential roads.
Concrete roads: There are very few such roads in the city. Generally, they are provided when the width of the road is less than 3 meters and tar machines cannot enter. Concrete roads are the longest lasting and difficult to dig up.
Who is responsible for providing good roads?
The creation, upgradation and maintenance of the city's roads are the responsibility of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) , carried out by the Engineering Department. Administratively, the Engineering Department is divided into twelve divisions, collectively responsible for the 100 wards in the city.Listed below is a snapshot of the road information in each division 
Depending on the type of road and the area, footpaths are of three surface types: mud, stone paving or interlocking concrete blocks.
In addition to pedestrian use, there are various components that the footpath actually carries - electric transformers, electric poles, trees, shoulder drains, service lines like telephone, optic fibre etc. It is very important that good standards are set for the creation of footpaths, with specific detailing, including the type and height of kerbstones at the road edge, the entry points for properties etc. Without standards, walking on footpaths can be more like walking an obstacle course, with in-numerable obstructions which prevent pedestrian use. These obstructions range from electric poles and transformers, to trees to encroachment by shop keepers and street vendors, trees being planted haphazardly rather than following a single line. In residential neighbourhoods, individual home owners take over the public footpath space for gardening and in commercial areas; store owners display their wares on the footpaths.
Often, footpaths are raised too high without adequate sloping at the two ends, to be accessible for older people or those with disabilities.
Additionally, the surface is dangerously uneven and has numerous stones that jut out and are loosened or missing.
What are the different types of drains?
Drains provide a network to carry rainwater from all parts of the city and channelize it into the storm water drain which will then carry it into a water body such as a lake or tank. The different types are:
Side drains: the drains alongside roads and along property walls. Invariably in the shape of a "Ü" in Bangalore, sometimes in the shape of an "L". There is debate on whether the city with its varying topography, requires side drains on inclined roads. There is also a debate on whether they should be covered to discourage dumping and provide parking, or whether they should be kept open to facilitate cleaning, vigilance on snakes, etc. In some areas, we now find concrete cover slabs laid over the drain. These slabs have holes in them which allow easy removal for maintenance. Most side drains have a lining of size stone masonry or stone slabs and a base of stone slabs. In some wards there are many drains which are still mud drains with undergrowth, or not linked to the network, creating water-logging.
Shoulder drains: are narrow drains provided under the width of raised footpaths to allow the rain-water from the roads to flow into the side drains. These are sometimes not provided at the points of water collection and are also often clogged with leaves and other debris. Fine gratings at the mouth of the drains would prevent interior clogging.
Culverts: are drains that link the side drain network under the width of roads. They are covered by stone slabs. It is important to execute the cover slabs so that they are level with the road surface and are not loose or with gaps between. Often however, these slabs are broken, dislodged, and much higher or lower than the road surface, causing accidents and unpleasant road experiences for both pedestrians and vehicles.
How does India fare vis-à-vis international standards for roads, footpaths and drains?
It must be noted here that international engineering specifications for these 3 components of road surface, footpath and drain are substantially different from the specifications being prescribed and followed in India for our urban roads. For instance, the drain networks are no longer open "U"-shaped drains, but well-designed conduits running at the edge and just below the road surface. If included into our tendering and specification documents, these fundamental changes in road design - while being more expensive to create - can make a big difference in the quality and longevity of the roads, as well as providing an improved user experience for all concerned, including pedestrians.
What is the current road cutting protocol?
Repeated digging for service lines and optic fibre cabling is a part and parcel of urban life. The obvious answer to minimise road cutting is to have detailed planning on the part of all service providers; however, in reality, given the multiple agencies involved, this is difficult to implement due to a variety of reasons, some of which are logistical, while others are institutional. Over the past few years, the BMP has attempted to bring order into the process of road cutting and restoration. This first required the acknowledgement by all service providers that the BMP was the ultimate owner of the road. There is now a "Road-cutting Protocol" that all agencies have agreed to; implementing this protocol is having its teething troubles.
Which agency is responsible for the road cutting?
The BMP is the agency responsible for monitoring any road cutting. When city service providers need to cut the road for any reason, they are supposed to obtain clearance from the BMP. The responsibility of restoring the road to its original condition has shifted often, sometimes with the agency concerned, at other times with the BMP, upon receipt of a restoration charge.
Where does the money for roads come from? Who makes decisions on which roads get done?
Approximately 6% of the city's budget gets allocated annually on infrastructure maintenance for the 100 wards, in what is referred to as Program of Works (P.O.W.). This money is allocated to each ward depending upon the need and the category of each ward: developed, partially developed or new ward, with the last allocated the most. The decision on which works are taken up for the year is taken by the Corporator, who is the elected representative, along with the engineering department of the BMP. The participation of citizens through Janaagraha has resulted, for the first time, in the voice of the citizens in many wards, being included in the POW for the years 2003 and 2004.
Large city-wide projects like the pot-hole filling drive, footpath paving or bond roads are allocated from other funds like special borrowings, schemes, grants, loans such as the HUDCO and KUIDFC loans, Mayor's grant, Commissioner's grant, etc.
What is the process once a work has been included in the POW?
There are four steps that are supposed to be followed in the implementation of every work:
1. Estimation: Once the work is included in the POW, the ward engineer specifies the quantity and quality, makes out a cost estimate and does the drawings.
2. Tender preparation: Depending on the value of the work, it can be done either by the Engineering Department itself (called Department work), or tendered out. Recent initiatives to increase transparency in procurement have resulted in a shift towards tendering. Emergency works are done by the engineering department itself, which does not have to go through the tendering process.
3. Approval: Depending upon the cost involved, the work needs to go through a sanctioning process by the divisional Executive engineer (EE), Zonal Chief Engineer(CE), Zonal Deputy Commisioner(DC) or the Commissioner. Once the work approved, it is tendered. Tenders for each work are invited by private contractors. There are different contractors for road works and works for footpaths and drains.
4. Implementation: The successful contractor is supposed to implement the work within 30 to 60 days of being awarded the contract. In reality this rarely happens, because the time cycle of the whole process brings implementation into the monsoon season. Since water is detrimental to roads, the work is postponed to begin after the monsoon season. Additionally, the contractor invariably runs into financial difficulties in executing the work because of heavy undercutting during tendering. Often, this problem is exacerbated due to payment delays.
What about the works that are not completed on time?
Every year, a large chunk of the works listed on the POWs is either not started or not completed within that financial year. These are then carried over into the POW for the next year under the category "Spillover Works", and have the additional problem of increased costs as well. With better financial planning and more citizen involvement, this can be brought into control. In Ejipura, ward 68, the Janaagraha citizen communities have succeeded through their constant involvement, to ensure that all POW works that were defined for the year 2002-2003 were completed to their satisfaction.
How do citizens know what works have been planned and what the status of each work is?
Each ward has a monthly report on the POW called the Arthika Darpana, or the "Financial Mirror". This was initiated under the leadership of Corporator Narendra Babu in 2002, when he was Chairman of the Standing Committee for Finance. The Fund Based Accounting System (FBAS) put into place in the city corporation by the BATF, has made this level of information possible. Ward-level Arthika Darpana documents, as well as other documents related to ward works can be obtained by citizens at the BMP or from their corporator.
What is the role of the citizens to ensure the proper selection and implementation of works?
Janaagraha has been supporting citizen communities in different wards in holding regular Monthly Review Meetings (MRM). At these MRMs, citizens discuss the status of all works in their ward. The Deputy Commissioners have shown leadership and support to the effort, by issuing circulars requiring participation at these discussions, by their ward engineers. When citizens show collective ownership over the issues in their wards, there has been irrevocable demonstration of positive impact.
Are there any guides for citizens to get involved in such a process in other areas?
Janaagraha has created a comprehensive set of processes and support documents for citizens to get involved in the local ward-level works in their areas. This involvement starts from the identification of the works, the costing of these works, inclusion in the city's budget, and the regular monitoring of their status through the Monthly Review Meetings (MRMs). Citizens also have easy-to-use guides to ensure the quality of implementation, put together with inputs from national experts on road construction, like Prof. Justo, advisor to the National Highway Authority of India.