Civic bodies do their bit... reduce Indiranagar to mess

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been carrying out repair and revamping works on the neglected Chinmaya Hospital Road in Indiranagar ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in the state capital.

Residents and shop owners living in the area on either side of the fragmented road complain about the “sheer” negligence of the civic authorities that has forced them to live in “horrible” conditions. The 12th main road and Chinmaya Hospital Road have suddenly captured the attention of the civic body BWSSB.

Many contractors were seen fixing underground pipes, and water supply compartments alongside the much-hyped pothole intervention. The intersection roads lack footpaths and are full of mismanaged wobbly roads. Shanti Devi, a roadside fruits seller told News Trail, “The dismal condition of the road has reduced my business.

Not only do my customers find it hard to approach my shop due to the damaged roads, a lot of dust settles on my display items, discouraging customers to buy due to its bad appearance. Many have complained that they are not kept in hygienic condition.”

The neglect runs so deep in the area that after every 100 metres or so, there is an open drain with piles of garbage dumped in it, alongside wild plants growing on the abandoned construction site. Roads have gravel of all sizes laid out, to which many pedestrians said that they are both angry and helpless as the civic body barely ever turns up to clear them.

Many regular commuters say that it has been in this state for nearly a year now and the condition gets worse during downpours, causing a constant threat to life. Mukesh Kumar, a resident of an apartment complex situated on the road has a massive uncared blockage right in front of their main gate.

The complex is home to many companies involved in distribution businesses. “Towards nightfall it is a stressful environment as many employees of nearby shops park their vehicles. Since there is no proper parking space, most of them land up here, causing confusion and traffic disorder. Residents of the area are heavily impacted by the poor management of the BWSSB and BBMP authorities,” he said.

The roads and sidewalks here are covered with garbage, which makes people question the management. Some open drains have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other dangerous microbes responsible for illnesses that can be deemed deadly due to their unknown origins and impact on the human body.

Sights of many loose wires hanging on trees and spread out on the road can be witnessed in the locality, which is responsible for pedestrians tripping. On asking, a contractbased labourer associated with the intervention, he said, “Work in this area has been neglected for almost a year now and prior to my coming here, another friend was involved in the revamping process.

The authorities have asked us to finish the work as soon as possible. “New people have been deployed for the revamping process but the workforce is much less for the work that needs to be carried out,” he went on to add.