Mallasandra: Plenty of black spots

Sanjay R Murty | NT
Bengaluru

Mallasandra is located in the northeastern part of Bengaluru. It is situated near Jalahalli Cross in the Dasarahalli Assembly Constituency. Ward 13 – Mallasandra is surrounded by T Dasarahalli, Shettihalli and Bagalagunte wards and falls under the BBMP’s Dasarahalli zone.

Apart from the Mallasandra locality, ward 13 includes Raveendra Nagar and parts of T Dasarahalli. The area has an undulating and rocky terrain. Mallasandra was also home to a quarry that sourced stones for the construction of parts of the Vidhana Soudha. The eastern boundary of Mallasandra ward abuts the Air Force Technical College premises of Jalahalli West.

The ward has steep roads, of which many have been concretised. Some roads have potholes but are still in a usable condition, while some others are entirely unusable. One such road is on the periphery of the ward, along the Air Force campus’ compound.

Many roads of the ward call for immediate repairs and restoration as they are in a bad shape. Adding to this is the steep slope which the roads are a part of, making it dangerous for motorists, especially at night. Some of these streets are also poorly lit. Though these stretches are not busy roads, accidents can ensue and pose a threat to residents of the surrounding areas and slums.

Like in many other wards, Mallasandra’s central roads are in a better condition compared to the outer ones. Roads that form the border of two wards are neglected by the authorities in both the wards. The road between Mallasandra and the neighbouring Shettihalli ward faces a similar neglect.

The garbage situation in Mallasandra ward is nothing to be proud of. While collection of garbage from doorsteps is fairly regular, black spots are still aplenty in Mallasandra.

The ward had made headlines in 2019 when over 200 CCTV cameras were installed here. The cameras were installed on poles at many junctions with an intention to reduce the rising rates of crime in this part of the city. However, it was also said that the cameras would reduce littering and other undesirable activities. Several cameras are visibly defunct and others have been effective in reducing irresponsible dumping of waste and debris in the ward. As these roads are less frequented by motorists, they have become dumping grounds for domestic waste and construction debris.

Mallasandra’s water supply is fairly good, but residents in some pockets feel that the quantity of water supplied is not adequate.

Mallasandra’s undulating rocky terrain consists of a couple of hillocks or ‘bande’ (rock in Kannada). A park and several other facilities were planned around the hillock – some on the top and others along the side. A wall resembling that of a fort was constructed around it and a sports ground was developed at the higher end of the hillock. There is also an openair auditorium along the side of the hillock. While the sports ground is being used by children and youth to play cricket, the rest of the project has not completely fructified.

The project including Vivekananda Sports Ground and Kempegowda Park was criticised for low-quality work when a part of the ‘fort’ wall collapsed following heavy rains last year. As Mallasandra’s narrow lanes lead to open spaces outside the old settlement, one can see tall apartment complexes. Some of these are already occupied, while some others are yet to come up on pieces of land bought by realtors.