Ganga Nagar's one side: Peaceful, green residential area; Other side: Congested, polluted commercial hub

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Ganga Nagar, ward number 20 under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the city, is a densely populated area with a mix of residential and commercial areas.

The ward has two sides, one side is the peaceful lush green calm residential area with old independent houses mostly constructed in the 1970s.

This side of the ward has very few commercial establishments and limited problems that the residents face. The side faces flooding in some streets where the houses and roads are lowlying since they were one of the first few roads in the ward.

Other smaller issues persist on this side of the ward like chopped tree trunks laid on the sidewalks, illegal onroad parking, a few sightings of snakes during peak monsoon, and so on.

Although the area has more greenery as compared to other areas in the city, a resident who has been living in the area for three decades alleged that the green scene in the area has been down substantially and they were trying their best to preserve the greenery here.

"Our side is still relatively peaceful, but the commercial side has become very congested and polluted," he added.

On the other side of the ward is rapid commercialisation, leading to traffic congestion, noise pollution, on-road illegal shops and parking, flaunting traffic rules, broken or no pedestrian pathways, bad roads “under construction” for months, open sewage/ stormwater drains on the side of the road, overpopulation and so on.

This is located on a major road, that connects Hebbal main road and RT Nagar. Owing to this the traffic is often very heavy. This can make it difficult for residents to get around, even on foot.

A resident, said, "The traffic on the commercial side of Ganga Nagar is terrible. It takes me an hour to get past a 500 m stretch to work in the morning, and another hour to get home in the evening."

All the commercial establishments and traffic congestion have now led to extreme noise pollution and air pollution. There are also no trees on this side of the ward, as compared to the other side.

The lack of footpaths has forced pedestrians to walk on the road, which is dangerous, especially during rush hour. The broken footpaths are also a major hazard, as they can cause people to trip and fall. This is especially dangerous for the elderly and people with disabilities.

A rider complained, “These people will walk in the middle of the road, then should we ride our bikes on the sidewalk?” A pedestrian complained, “There are no footpaths on most streets and in the streets where there’s a footpath, it is completely broken or covered with some debris, should we hover and fly over these vehicles?”

A resident who recently moved to Ganga Nagar from another city said, "I enjoy taking evening walks from my home to the other side of the ward. "It feels like transitioning from a lush, green, beautiful garden to a dirty, polluted, and noisy desert."

On-road illegal shops and parking are a major problem as these shops encroach on the road, making it difficult for vehicles to pass. The illegal parking further narrows the road, leading to traffic congestion and accidents.

Traffic rules are often flouted by motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Overflowing sewage/ stormwater drains are often clogged with garbage and debris, which causes them to overflow.