Yelachenahalli residents suffer narrow roads, careless parking

 Sanjay R Murty

 Bengaluru

 Yelachenahalli Ward is situated towards the south of the city, along Kanakapura Road. People from all over the city became familiar with the name Yelachenahalli when it was the final stop on the Namma Metro’s Green Line before the metro rail service was extended up to Silk Institute. It is a part of the BBMP’s Bommanahalli zone and Bengaluru South Assembly Constituency.

Yelachenahalli was Ward 185 before the recent delimitation. The delimited ward (number 220) is smaller, with Ilyas Nagar, Ramaiya Nagar, Kanaka Nagar, Fayazabad, Yelachenahalli and parts of Kumaraswamy Layout and Isro Layout within its boundaries. The busy Kanakapura Road forms the western boundary of Yelachenahalli ward. Residents have complained that irresponsible parking on the sides of the main road causes inconvenience to them.

 Not only does it narrow down the usable space of the road, but it also causes hindrance to pedestrians. Those walking from the metro station are exposed to traffic as they try to walk around the parked vehicles, which are often vans, tempos and other large vehicles. The BWSSB Pipeline Road forms the western boundary of Yelachenahalli ward. The narrow road connects areas like Isro Layout and Ramaiya Nagar to the Outer Ring Road.

Vehicles parked along the road make it even narrow and often create blockages when larger vehicles approach from both sides. To add to this, the silt and dirt after the cleaning of roadside drains have been dumped on the road. BBMP’s waste mustering point is also located on this road, worsening the traffic situation. The road itself is also in a bad shape with potholes and puddles following rainfall. A resident who lives nearby told News Trail that the drain is causing a safety issue, especially for children of the area.

“The slabs were removed about ten days ago, so that the cleaning could be done. They have not yet been replaced. Children could fall into the drain while playing. It is also dangerous for motorists,” she said as she criticised the officials concerned for being “insensitive”. Another resident pointed out that the lack of proper covering slabs on the roadside drains leads to garbage flowing into the drains along with rainwater. “This slows down the flow of water from the road to the drain, leading to waterlogging on the road,” he said.

 Construction material and debris dumped on roads also cause inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians here. Roads of Ilyas Nagar, Kanaka Nagar and Fayazabad need immediate attention. The narrow by-lanes are challenging for motorists due to their slope. Several stretches that were dug up for laying pipes have not been restored completely. Residents here also face a shortage of water. A resident of the Fayazabad area said that water is supplied twice a week, but the quantity is seldom sufficient.

A few garbage black spots can be found around Yelachenahalli Lake. The lake has been given a facelift with a walkway and gardens around it. However, the lake’s inlet and a storm-water drain near it raise a stench in the area. Roads around the lake are ridden with potholes. Harsha Layout and Jayachamarajendra (JC) Indus[1]trial Estate areas were part of the Yelachenahalli ward until they were excluded due to delimitation. The industrial estate has several garbage black spots.