Bengaluru: Hefty Fines To Be Imposed On Civic Bodies, Private Individuals Who Dig Up Roads Without BBMP Approval

Taking cues from recent incidents on the central business district (CBD) area of Bengaluru, Government of Karnataka has directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to impose hefty fines on those who break the law and dig up roads illegally.

For the government bodies, the fine can extend up to Rs 25 lakh and for private individuals, Rs 10 lakh. More often than not, newly laid roads are dug up to lay cables, pipelines or wires.

Deccan Chronicle quoted a senior officer of BBMP’s Department of Road Infrastructure as saying, “The government and BBMP spend crores of rupees every year to asphalt the road and fill potholes. But we find private companies and even government agencies such as Bescom and BWSSB, and even local residents digging up roads without permission to lay pipes and wires. They do not fill it properly and this results in potholes. As a result, BBMP is held responsible and pulled up for poor maintenance of roads.”

Furthermore, the officer added, “We have received the circular and this will be sent to all other civic agencies. We will also spread the message among private companies and city residents. We will ensure that digging work is taken up only after obtaining BBMP’s prior permission,” Deccan Chronicle reported.

In the near future, permissions have to be obtained to dig up roads. Those who fail to follow the protocol will need to asphalt the area that is dug up.