Gated communities and slums: The contrast of Thanisandra Ward 6

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Ward 6 Thanisandra is a rapidly developing ward under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.

The Thanisandra Main Road is a major arterial road that connects the ward to the city centre. The ward is also served by the Bengaluru International Airport, which is located just a few kilometres away.

One of the biggest challenges is the growing inequality between the gated communities and the slums. Another challenge is the lack of basic amenities in some parts of the ward.

The contrast between the gated communities and the slums of Thanisandra is stark. On the one hand, there are the gated communities with their towering apartment buildings, manicured lawns, and swimming pools, while on the other hand, there are the slums with their narrow alleys, cramped houses with lack of basic amenities.

The gated communities offer their residents a secure and comfortable lifestyle with their own security guards, water supply, and power backup. They also have a variety of amenities, such as swimming pools, gyms, and clubhouses.

The slums, on the other hand, are often overcrowded and unsanitary. Residents often have to share toilets and water pumps. Basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, and playg rounds are also missing.

Nikoo Homes is one of the gated community residential projects on Thanisandra Main Road. Like many other residential posh gated communities in the area, this community offers a variety of apartment configurations with amenities like a clubhouse, swimming pool, gym, spa, indoor games facilities, children's play area, jogging track, landscaped garden, and 24/7 security and power backup.

While the residents of the gated communities enjoy a comfortable and secure lifestyle and have no complaints about their living situation, the residents of the slums have to struggle for basic necessities.

The slums of Thanisandra are often overcrowded and unsanitary. The houses are small and cramped, and the alleys are narrow. This can have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents. Residents of these slums do not have access to toilets and often have to use open defecation.

Most people turn to the public toilet in the locality, which is used by over 20 to 30 people a day. People who do not have access to water pumps have to travel long distances to fetch water.

A security guard who works at one of the gated communities and lives near the slum said the community has over 5,000 residents and uses groundwater. He has lived there for almost a decade, but the sudden influx of people has caused groundwater levels to drop drastically, leading to scarcity for the nearby slum community.

The roads except for the ones inside these gated communities are often in poor condition. They are narrow, potholed, and unpaved. There are also several open drains, broken pedestal paths and incomplete projects left by the BWSSB for the past several months.

Garbage disposal is a major problem since there is no proper system for collecting and disposing of garbage. This has led to the accumulation of garbage on the side of these damaged streets often burnt by some residents.