Ibrahim Saheb Street sees infra woes, businesses face losses amid delays

Chandra Prabhu | NT

Bengaluru: Ibrahim Saheb Street in Shivajinagar is home to a lot of commercial shops selling variety of articles ranging from clothing to footwear to jewellery and food.

However, for a few months, the street has gone through a tortuous ordeal as agencies like the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) have put the street to tatters, as pipeline and cablework have faced repeated delays, proprietors say.

Siddique, who owns a garment shop, had passionately stated that the digging up of the road has given them nothing but hellish situations.

He explained to News Trail, “15 days after Ramzan, hell ensued - roads being dug up, pipes being installed with delay, which has resulted in huge losses,” he said.

“Managing finances with losses upto Rs. 15 lakh Rupees has been a predicament. Paying for the rent, which goes upto a lakh, and salaries for the salesmen and for my personal requirements gets difficult everyday,” he lamented.

Business merchants like Siddique have taken the brunt of this ordeal, as customer count has progressively reduced.

“The clothes here have collected a lot of dust,” he says as he taps them to let the dust out. “Who do you think comes and buys this,” he asked.

Bilal, who owns a garment shop in the street, hoped to recover the losses incurred during Ganesha Chaturthi and Vijayadashami.

“We were hoping that the roads would be laid before the festival season, however the street remains neglected and we face a difficult period,” he remarked.

While businesses suffer from losses, Bilal alleged that a pedestrian in the street had suffered a serious leg injury after tripping over the rock on the road.

“With its uneven surface, anyone is prone to such injuries,” he added. Amongst those wanting to purchase products at a cheaper rate, were a group of college students from Puducherry, who were first-timers here.

“We only walked a quarter of the stretch and our legs are hurting already!,” said Rohit. Sharmi, another from the group, had tripped on the stones and escaped a tragedy.

“We are in doubt to continue shopping here, despite only entering it a few moments ago,” she replied.

When contacted, officials from the agencies were not available to speak to News Trail. This puts light on the harsh conditions of the road, which once was bustling with customers and businesses.