Mathikere: Dotted with dug-up roads

 By Sanjay R Murty | NT

Mathikere is located in the northern part of Bengaluru. It is a typical residential area, consisting mainly layouts with a middle-class population along with a slum and an upscale housing society.

With the IISc campus and Ramaiah institutions next to it, the area has become a hub of students and young professionals staying in rented rooms as well as paying-guest accommodation. The Mathikere ward comes under the Malleswaram division of BBMP and Malleswaram Assembly Constituency. It includes Mathikere Extension, Netaji Nagar, parts of Gokula 1st stage and Divanarapalya.

It is surrounded by J P Park and Yeshwanthpur wards on the west, Aramane Nagar and Radhakrishna Temple Wards on the east and Malleswaram Ward towards its south.

Lack of good roads seems to be the major issue in ward 36 – Mathikere. The roads in Gokula 1st stage are wider compared to those in Mathikere Extension. However, in both these areas, the roads are now in bad shape due to various reasons.

The most prominent reason here is the lack of restoration by service providers after they dig up the roads. BWSSB, Bescom and the Bengaluru Smart City Project have dug up roads in various parts of the ward.

The simultaneous digging has inconvenienced motorists and pedestrians as they navigate through the internal lanes of the area. The recent rains have worsened the situation, especially for two-wheeler riders who risk skidding.

While it some inconvenience during the implementation of an infrastructure projects is inevitable, the service providers concerned should make sure that the safety of road users is not compromised. Protective barricades and nets are used in some places, but are absent in most others. This is the reason why the ward is dotted with dangerous spots that could claim the lives of motorists.

The BBMP’s Nodal Officer for Ward 36 said that the service providers seldom seek the required permissions for road-cutting. “They also do not restore them in time. This lack of coordination is the main reason for the condition of roads in the ward,” he added.

Towards the northern end of the ward are railway tracks – the stretch between Yeshwanthpur and Lottegollahalli station. While approaching the Mathikere Railway overbridge, one can notice a few small houses on the right. What seems to be a small cluster of shanties actually extends further along Mathikere 1st Main road.

This slum is also known as MRJ Colony. While the immediate surroundings of these houses are relatively clean, there is garbage dumped along the railway tracks. Adding to this is an open-drain that runs between M S Ramaiah Road (Mathikere Main Road) and New BEL Road. Apart from garbage, construction debris is also dumped along this road. Most residents in the slum get water from public borewells. Residents – mostly women, carry water from roadside taps to their homes. The Nodal Officer said that there have been discussions about the slum and its improvement. “However, a clearcut project is yet to take shape,” he said.

A resident of Mathikere Extension said the roads need frequent sweeping. Another resident who stays near Netaji Circle told News Trail that he segregates dry and wet waste, only to be collected together by the pourakarmikas. “Separate days have not been allocated for collecting dry and wet waste here,” he said.

The residents of Gokula 1st stage and Mathikere Extension do not seem to have a problem with the water supply. “These pipes were laid two days ago. We do not face any water shortage,” said a resident of Mathikere Extension when asked why the road in front of his house was dug up.

The stretch of the main road along Divanarapalya on one side and IISc Campus on the other was restored recently after being dug. For many days about one-quarter of the width of this road was unusable. Many internal roads are still facing the same issue. Residents find it difficult to manoeuvre their vehicles in and out of their houses.

“It would be ideal if the BBMP, BWSSB and Bescom carry out these projects in a coordinated manner,” a resident said as she expressed concern over inaccessible footpaths for senior citizens. “Footpath