Domlur: A civic nightmare

Y Maheswara Reddy | NT

Domlur’s cup of civic woes is overflowing. It includes pothole-ridden roads, haphazard parking of vehicles, parks turned into dumping grounds and even stalker menace in some parts. Civic agencies and public utility firms dig roads to lay pipes or optical fibre cables, but they never get properly restored. These patches have been filled with gravel, which is proving to be very risky for two-wheeler riders. Residents also complain that footpaths that were in good condition have been reconstructed, Y Maheswara Reddy reports.

Residents of Domlur have resigned themselves to yawning craters, pothole-ridden roads and haphazard parking of vehicles. The residents have been appealing to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities for six months to fix the problems, but in vain.

The only response from the authorities concerned is ensuring the contractor fills up the roads that were dug up either to lay new water pipe or underground drainage pipes or even to lay optical fiber cable, with gravel 15 days ago.

“With the end of incumbent corporator’s term in September 2020, the BBMP authorities are taking up developmental works as per their whims and fancies. It seems their objective is to make money and certainly not to ensure quality. At many places, footpaths that are in good condition are being reconstructed. It is a waste of tax-payers’ money,” said Shivakumar V, a resident of Domlur.

For example, the width of a footpath opposite Iyengar’s Bakery is being extended by adding curb stones. “The footpath is in good condition and there is no need for the BBMP engineer to engage a contractor to add curb stones,” he said.

It is also quite amusing and frightening to come across a huge pothole on 3rd Main Road near Dr B. R. Ambedkar Circle, Domlur Layout, filled up with mud and a tender coconut shells. The BBMP horticulture department workers are yet to remove tree branches that are dumped on a footpath near Sri Manjunatha Swamy Children’s Park.

Most of the roads, including cross roads, were dug up but not restored thus causing a lot of inconvenience to the residents as well as motorists. “Two-wheelers uses may skid while negotiating yawning craters or the dugout stretches that are filled with loose gravel. It has become risky for us to ride two-wheelers on these roads,” said a resident pleading anonymity.

One can see many vehicles parked on both sides of the roads in Domlur. The other problem is dumping of construction material or debris on the footpath. “No one is bothered about the safety of pedestrians. Many buildings are being constructed illegally but the BBMP authorities turn blind eye to this menace,” said a resident on the condition of anonymity.

Stalker menace
Sujatha, a resident at 12th Main is worried about her safety from stalkers and strangers who loiter in the locality. “It is frightening to see strangers wandering in front of my home. I want the police to stop it, especially those from a private security agency in this locality,” said Sujatha.

Park a dumping ground
An unhygienic atmosphere near Dr Rajkumar Park is a cause of concern for people visiting the park for a walk in the morning and evening. “The place is stinking with bad odour due to unscientific transfer of garbage from auto-tippers to garbage compactors. I want the BBMP authorities to keep the place clean,” said a resident.

J V Pai, a septuagenarian residing on 1A Main Road near BBMP Ward Office, has said that cutting of roads on one or the other pretext has become the norm of the day at Domlur Layout. “Earlier, I used to visit a shop or a clinic without any hassles. Now, I am finding it tough to walk on the road due to indiscriminate cutting of roads. The road cuttings are taking place during the weekends,” said Pai.

Dog park in ruins
Another pressing issue in Domlur is the lack of a park exclusively for dogs. It may be recalled that some pet parents pooled in Rs 50,000 to get the city’s first dog park again on November 2, 2020. The BBMP had closed the dog park in August 2019 to upgrade the park but failed to do so even after one year. The then BBMP Special Commissioner D Randeep and the then corporator of Domlur Lakshminarayan CR were guests at the inaugural function of Dog Park held on November 1, 2020. However, the dog park was shut within a week of the inaugural function.

“Earlier, the place near Rangamandira was a garbage dump. We spent our valuable time and money to convert it into a park for dogs. I do not know what made the BBMP Deputy Director (Horticulture) to refuse his nod for the dog park. Now, the place has become a garbage dump. I am of the opinion that the BB