Concerns Arise as Officials Raise Flags on Belagavi Smart City's 'Lapses

The Belagavi Smart City project in India is facing significant challenges due to subpar construction work and incomplete projects, leading to inconvenience for residents. The recent heavy rains have further exposed the low quality of roads and drainage passages, raising concerns about the unscientific approach to construction. The Civil Engineers' Association has expressed worry over these issues, but their advice has reportedly been ignored by the responsible department.

The project, which was included in the first national-level list of 20 Smart City projects in 2015, has incurred a cost of approximately ?980 crore ($14 million), with an additional ?20 crore ($2.9 million) required to finish pending works. To ensure adherence to standards, the project is being supervised by a third-party agency.

Instances of poor workmanship have come to light, such as the caving-in of a 2-kilometer road between Angol and Vadagavi last March, which was not even part of the project's original plan. Activists have raised their voices against the officials responsible for this incident, citing rushed construction and compromised quality due to the impending elections.

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CRITICISM FOR THE PROJECT

Criticism has also been directed towards the design and plan of the Mandolli road project, with concerns over inadequate compensation to landowners and improper handover to the construction agency.

Belagavi City Corporation Commissioner, Ashok Dudaganti, emphasized strict measures to preserve newly asphalted roads and prevent unauthorized cutting for underground pipelines. The Smart City project's managing director, Afreen Banu, assured that efforts are underway to address the technological lapses in cement concrete roads.

The project's oversight has been entrusted to the renowned Visvesvarayya Technological University, along with a local engineering institute, to ensure compliance with required standards before final payments are made to construction agencies.