Kodigehalli – Well-planned layouts forced to coexist with black spots

Kodigehalli Ward is a picture of stark contrast. While Sahakar Nagar is a well-planned residential area with wide, tree-lined roads, Maruti Nagar and Devi Nagar are totally neglected with poorly
maintained roads and lack of amenities. Stormwater drains in the ward are narrow and poorly maintained. Many areas in the ward like Tata Nagar, Bhadrappa Layout and the adjacent Balaji Layout
get waterlogged during monsoon, as they are part of the floodplain between Doddabommasandra and Hebbal lakes. Residents also complain of an increase in the number of ‘black spots’ and allege
those residing in other areas are behind this menace, Sanjay R Murty reports

Kodigehalli Ward (Ward number 8) is located in the northern part of Bengaluru, between Byatarayanapura and Vidyaranyapura localities. The Outer Ring Road forms the southern boundary of Kodigehalli Ward, with RadhaKrishna Temple and Sanjay Nagar wards on the other side.

Kodigehalli Ward consists of Kodigehalli Village, a major portion of Sahakar Nagar, Tata Nagar, Bhadrappa Layout, Devi Nagar and Maruthi Nagar localities. Hebbal Lake also falls under Ward 8.

Sahakar Nagar is a well-planned residential area with wide, tree-lined roads. CQAL and Defence Layouts in Sahakar Nagar have the best roads in the ward. The part of Kodigehalli Main Road that runs parallel to the Railway track (near Kodigehalli Halt) has been white-topped and maintained well.

On the other side of Kodigehalli Main Road is the Maruti Nagar locality. The condition of roads here is in stark contrast with those of Sahakar Nagar. The road that is totally neglected is the one that connects Kodigehalli Main Road to AMCO Layout, along the Defence Property on the other side.

According to a local resident, the road has not been asphalted in several years. “I have been living here for five years now and have never seen anyone doing anything about it. It has been left unattended,” he said.

The Nodal Officer of Kodigehalli ward was not aware of the situation of this specific stretch and said that he would inquire regarding the same and take action. “We had discussed the bad situation of roads in Maruti Nagar and Dee Enclave. The matter will be escalated to the Engineers for further action,” he said.

The Kodigehalli Railway Underpass was infamous for failing to meet several deadlines during its construction. When it finally opened for traffic, it still faced the problem of water logging during heavy rains. This was partly due to the clogging of water outlets by garbage and debris.

However, the drainage and service road works for the underpass had to be re-tendered after the previous contractor was found to have carried out faulty work. Bhadrappa Layout’s main road is seeing more traffic as new apartment complexes have come up in some parts of the Kodigehalli Ward.

The road through Bhadrappa Layout connects Kodigehalli to the Outer Ring Road. However, some parts of the road which had been dug up on a side to lay pipes have not been restored. The roads of Devi Nagar had several potholes which were recently filled up. The shoulder drains in the locality are old and have not been renovated. They need to be restructured on the lines of modern shoulder drains so that run-off water during monsoon can flow easily.

The Nodal Officer had reportedly received complaints about the roadside drains in Bhadrappa Layout and Devi Nagar. He said that the drains needed cleaning up. Water logging is seen in areas including Tata Nagar, Bhadrappa Layout and the adjacent Balaji Layout of the Kodigehalli ward after heavy rains. These areas are part of the floodplain between Doddabommasandra and Hebbal lakes.

Stormwater drains in the ward are narrow and are poorly maintained. Encroachments on these drains and Hebbal Lake, which is part of the Kodigehalli ward, can be cleared only after a survey. The survey to identify encroachments – both on Rajakaluves and the Hebbal Lake is reportedly pending.

Roads next to railway lines are prone to littering. In many cases, the residents near such roads keep an eye out for those who dump their domestic waste there. It is mostly people who live away from these spots who dump garbage irresponsibly and drive away.

The ward’s Nodal Officer said that dry waste was being collected twice every week – on Wednesdays and Saturdays. However, a resident of AMCO Layout told News Trail that dry waste is collected once a week. “We try our best to hand over the waste accumulated through the week, but some residents try to get rid of dry waste irresponsibly,” and added that collecting dry waste at least twice a week can help control the menace of dumping waste on vacant sites.

BBMP authorities have received complaints about the rising number of ‘black