Domlur in a state of decay residents helpless

People say area lacks regular water supply, proper roads, waste disposal

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: The 112th ward under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ( B B M P ) Domlur is located in the eastern part of the city, an upcoming Information Technology (IT) and business hub. As per the last updated population census, the male population in the area stands at 17827 and female about 16876. It comes under the Assembly Constituency of Shantinagar. Localities surrounding Domlur are Indiranagara, Dhupanahalli, Domlur 1st stage and Someshwarapura layout.

The area is spread across 3.99 sq km and it comes under the Parliamentary constituency of Bangalore Central. The posh locality derives its resemblance to colonial architecture. The place is close to the 10th century Chokkanathaswamy temple in Domlur. Traces of Tamil inscriptions have been found here.

Nageshwar Gowda, a resident of 1st stage Domlur said, “The white topping work on Chinmaya road has been happening for a very long time and this has blocked several major roads resulting in rush hour chaos. Even though I use public traffic, there is no footpath. The area is a nuisance as people dump garbage in the crevices of these abandoned sites on the main roads.”

Gowda also said that the area lacks a regular water supply and many times the residents have to purchase water from private water suppliers as the BWSSB has not responded to any of their complaints including repairing the blocked sewage pipes left as it is for more than a year now. The civic infrastructure in Domlur is deteriorating by the day. In fact, the whole of Bangalore deals with a sudden growth in population. This point has been brought up several times by the civic authorities.

But many blame it on the absence of governance and rising corruption. The roads in Domlur are littered with unsegregated waste and many places of historic significance are also not spared. Residents complain of high levels of insect activity. Many living adjacent to the place has succumbed to illnesses due to the lack of cleanliness in the area.

Vijaylaxmi Nair a resident of Domlur said, “We have a lot of ancient trees in this area covered with concrete by civic authorities. But nobody cares about the vandalised state of the trees. Live wires hang above these trees and during rains it even causes sparks. There are almost no street lights and the weekends are terrible, as many young people have found dark pockets to conduct their nefarious activities.”

The police authorities have said that majorly there have been reports of the involvement of the younger generation in crime in these areas. Cases of drug abuse and peddling come up every now and then. The traffic department did not comment on the traffic situation in the area but said that things will get better once the white topping and other maintenance work are over.

For the time being, they are engaged in mending the broken roads. Residents have complained of encroachments and illegal construction. They allege debris from construction sites is dumped in front of their gates making things worse for them. Being one of the oldest areas in the city the area has its share of old buildings that might not be safe anymore