White Topping Work Set to Begin on 271 Bengaluru Roads

Quick Summary

• B-SMILE Task Entrusted: Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) now oversees all white-topping projects in Bengaluru, including ongoing works and upcoming ones.
• Appointment of Engineers: The SPV has appointed 9 executive engineers and 15 assistant executive engineers to supervise white-topping works across ten zones of five newly formed city corporations.
• Project Scope: White-topping is planned for approximately 271 roads spanning 487.22 km, with surveys expected by September 14 and reports to be submitted the next day.
• Ongoing Projects Taken Over: B-SMILE assumed control over existing white-topping projects covering 150 km estimated at ₹1,700 crore; includes stretches like J.C.road causing traffic disruptions.
• Upcoming Works by Zone:

– North corporation: White-topping on 96 roads (Hebbal,Yelahanka,dasarahalli).- Central Corporation: Includes an 18 km stretch from Baiyappanahalli to Silk Board; total coverage of 46 roads.
– West Corporation: White-topping on BTM Layout, Bommanahalli among others-40 roads in total.
– East corporation & South Corporation: Each covering around mid-40s road count respectively.

• Staff Shortages Persist: An estimated vacancy level of nearly 85% for senior engineer positions continues; critical posts such as Chief Engineer remain unfilled.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The appointment of B-SMILE marks a concentrated effort toward tackling Bengaluru’s infrastructure challenges through uniform oversight. With control over both ongoing and new white-topping initiatives across the city zones under an SPV model, administrative alignment may improve project execution timelines.

However, major staff shortages at senior engineering levels could undermine operational efficiency despite adding more junior-level roles. This bottleneck likely needs addressing if strategic goals such as timely surveys (before September deadlines) are to be consistently met.

Key areas targeted-including Hebbal-yelahanka stretches and Baiyappanahalli-to-Silk Board-suggest priority focus on high-population density zones with important commuter traffic. While systematic preparation like Pavement Condition Index tracking shows promise toward quality delivery standards for existing well-asphalted structures alone-not ‘new’ unvetted constructions could hence extend wear/safety durability lifespan nuances benefitting urban-functional commute revamps implantation direct prevention weather ingress/urban flooding resilience durability-forwarded cost-controlled wards-row streamlining-tested