Gandhinagar: A grim picture of civic neglect

Gandhinagar has a market place and many office buildings, and a substantial floating population. Due to the lack of public toilets, people are forced to urinate in open dumps, lamp posts and street corners. Some choose to respond to nature's call in the many abandoned and rundown buildings in the area

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: Gandhina g ar belongs in the heart of the Silicon Valley and is ward number 94 in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. The area occupies 1.9 sq km space with 18 parks covering an area of 13.7 sq km, five playgrounds accounting for 5.4 sq km.

Over 6,599 households are settled in the area and have access to railway stations, bus stations and metro stations. The total population of the ward is over 31,208. The footpath area of 25 km is in shambles and about 7.3 km of the footpath need immediate attention, and 31 obstructions need to be cleared.

Sudha Mani, a resident of 4th main road in Gandhinagar said, “The number of stray dogs has multiplied in the area and the lack of street lights has made it even more difficult to track their movements as some of them can turn wild.” She lamented that construction activity in the area was an added nuisance.

“The roads remain dusty and unbreathable, I advise my children to always wear a mask while boarding the public bus for school.” Many residents complain that construction debris is a menace in the area. The authorities have remained deaf to complaints, and the residents are frustrated.

About 9 km of the streets in the area require more streetlights and many potholes and bad roads remain unattended. Traffic forms during peak hours is a major problem and motorists have a tough time trying to commute to office.

“Many garbage collectors choose to segregate garbage on the spot due to improper segregation by the citizens” said Kantha Kumaran, one of the contractual garbage collectors. Gandhinagar area is home to many blind spots and the garbage settles and immerses within the street.

Due to constant support of rag pickers in the area, most of the non-degradable garbage is separated, but a large amount of it remains and the area is permanently engulfed in stench. Most drains remain stagnant, which often gives rise to microbially-linked infections. The area has a market place and many office buildings, and has a substantial floating population.

Due to the lack of public toilets, people are forced to urinate in open dumps, lamp posts and street corners. Some choose to respond to nature's call in the many abandoned and rundown buildings in the area.

Ranjit Chinnappa, a shop owner, and resident of ward 94 said, “I live very near to the Bangalore One office, and the area near my house is clean, but the area where my shop is located speaks another story. During evening, many tents selling snack items are put up and this adds to the chaos. They encroach footpaths and leave behind a garbage pile.”

He laments that civic authorities never follow the adage “A stitch on time saves nine.” They assure that most of the maintenance and repair work will be addressed in a span of a few months with the appropriate funds, but nothing happens.