BANGALORE: As the chain of afflictions phase out from one side of the city, they crop up on another side. The combined plots of Devinagar and Lottegollahalli, in the far reaches of the city, suffer immensely from lack of basic amenities like water supply, bad roads, sanitation, street lights and trash. These age old problems in Bangalore Rural are nothing new to the above mentioned areas, which connected to the opulently constructed Outer Ring Road. While the picture is that of a metropolitan city on this highway, it is a doomed colony of unpaved roads in the two neighbouring localities.The once asphalted road is now completely covered with dust, muck and mud, to such an extent that it looks like it was never paved. It is a link road connecting Devi Nagar to the Outer Ring Road. Residents are dreading the arrival of the monsoon showers, during which time it would be impossible to traverse the ‘kaccha’ streets. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) had dug up the road for laying pipelines. They had even put up a sign board promising to finish the work in 90 days!According to Vasudha K Tavag, a local resident, it has been over six months since the road was in an usable condition. She finds it utterly ridiculous that the same road has to be dug up multiple times. She went on to say that she sometimes gets a backache because of the harsh terrain. “I cannot even take my dog for a walk in this neighbourhood”, she said.Another resident Lokesh, who has lived here for 15 years, complains about the pot holes and garbage problems. On the undulating surface are numerous pot holes and muddy pits, due to which residents cannot drive their vehicles or even walk comfortably. He said, “you can see for yourself the harsh conditions we’re living in. The gutters are not closed, garbage is not cleared, we barely get half an hour’s supply of water. How are we supposed to survive like this?”His wife, Dhanalakshmi, added that the street lights don’t work. After dark it is impossible to walk alone. The trash from the surrounding areas is dumped into an empty yard, opposite to their house, which attracts mosquitoes and other insects. “My son gets infections and his skin itches because of this,” she said. While on some days this seems to be the course of action, on the other hand, the garbage pickers don’t even come to the area. If at all they show up, they demand money because the households generate trash. The members of this locality wonder if the higher authorities are aware of this.Other residents complained about unsettled trifles which are highly problematic for them. Stray dogs come under this list of afflictions. Baby, a resident, said “They capture the dogs, but leave them in a nearby locality. So, they find their way back here!” For a town that is a stone’s throw away from the developed parts of the city (Malleswaram, Sankey Road), it faces more problems than the rural areas. The officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are aware of their rumbling hardships, and are apparently urging BWSSB to fix the pipelines at the earliest so, that the roads can be asphalted. “I keep a follow up of the work done by BWSSB. But, their progress is very slow.” said, Ashwath Narayana Gowda, Corporator , Kodigehalli ward. He is very confident that the few problems in this area will be addressed immediately. “Whenever there is a public grievance I’m notified about it within a matter of hours”, he added. He dismissed the matter in a complacent tone.The residents can only hope that these issues will be resolved smoothly and quickly without any controversy.
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