Closed subways get Dasara facelift

Mysuru: With the countdown to the historic Mysuru Dasara festival underway, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has stepped up restoration and maintenance work at key landmarks across the city to spruce them up ahead of the arrival of visitors.

Two pedestrian subways in the Central Business District, one on Sayyaji Rao Road and another near the Mysuru Palace, close to the Dasara Exhibition Grounds, which had remained closed for over a year due to persistent waterlogging and poor maintenance, are finally being restored.

Rainwater seepage at the entrances and sides, coupled with inadequate lighting, security and cleanliness, had made the subways unusable. They were subsequently locked.

On Aug. 26, Star of Mysore had reported on the condition of the two subways in a report titled, ‘Subways to… hell: Two subways locked, filthy, unsafe and forgotten; Built for pedestrians but unlocked only for Dasara.’

MCC Commissioner M.K. Savitha had then told SOM that restoration works would be included in the main Dasara tender package to ensure their early completion.

“Cleaning and sanitation, lighting, painting, waste management and CCTV surveillance will be taken up as part of the restoration works,” Savitha had said.

MCC authorities have now identified the main cause of the water leakage and are welding metal sheets at the entrance points to prevent rainwater from entering the subways.

Apart from structural repairs, the restoration includes installing new lighting, repainting the interiors, deep cleaning and installing CCTV cameras  for public safety.

Cleaning work inside the subway on Sayyaji Rao Road has already begun, with officials aiming to complete the remaining work before the Dasara rush. Work on the other subway near the Palace is expected to begin soon.

Meanwhile, restoration work has begun at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Statue Circle, popularly known as Hardinge Circle. The historic pavilion housing the statue is undergoing thorough cleaning and maintenance.

Workers are carrying out deep cleaning of the white marble pavilion and the surrounding granite flooring, which had accumulated dust over the past year due to heavy traffic and nearby pipeline works. Repainting of the structure is in progress, along with the installation of  protective grill guards around the perimeter.