Vacant land cause of concern at Ramaswamy Palya

Sanjay R Murty | NT
Bengaluru

Ramaswamy Palya ward is located in the central part of Bengaluru along the Nandidurga Road. The ward (No. 62) is part of the BBMP’s East Zone and comes under the Shivaji Nagar Assembly Constituency.
The ward consists of parts of JC Nagar and Benson Town, with its northern boundary abutting the Parachute Regiment Training Centre. It is surrounded by JC Nagar, Jayamahal, SK Garden and DJ Halli wards – all part of the East Zone.
Munimarappa Garden, Chinnappa Garden and Annayappa Block are some of the prominent neighbourhoods of the Ramaswamy Palya ward.

The ward, though relatively small in area, has a diverse population within its boundaries. Slums with narrow by-lanes are located just a stone’s throw away from upscale parts of the neighbourhood consisting of bungalows and apartment complexes.

Some stretches lie vacant due to litigation and other issues. This has been a source of several problems in the ward. Irresponsible residents and shop owners have turned the vacant plots in Munimarappa Garden into a dumping ground. This part is located between Nandidurga Road and Church Road. However, it can be accessed only via Church Road, as the road that connects it to Nandidurga Road has been blocked by a car garage.Residents of the locality said that the garage owners have no papers to prove that the occupied lane is under their ownership. Discarded cars are parked on the street and scraps are dumped on vacant plots.

Residents who live along the First Cross said this has encouraged others to dump wastes. Shop owners are dumping vegetable and meat waste, while dogs, rats and crows feast on them. Another cause of concern for the residents is the unauthorised parking of garbage auto-tippers.

Temporary workshops

Some plots in the area have been converted into temporary workshops for making Ganesha, Durga and other idols for the festive season. “They start work in mid- July and continue up to Diwali. The street is littered with clay and Plaster of Paris. They also place their wares on the roads making it difficult for us to move,” Arati (name changed), a local resident, said and added that bathing in the open was also rampant till residents coerced them to stop.

Residents also fear that the vacant plots have become ground for illegal activities that risk safety and security in the neighbourhood. "Sometimes, we witness suspicious activities in a couple of vacant huts. Drunkards and drug peddlers also frequent the place," Arati said.

Dr Rahman (name changed), another resident, even requested MLA Rizwan Arshad to solve the crisis. He showed us the message sent to the legislator. Unfortunately, the MLA has not responded so far. On the other hand, flex banners announcing the ground-breaking ceremony for asphalting and concretisation of roads could be seen in the area. While the citizens have welcomed the road and drain repair work, they also want the MLA to take a look at how shabby this particular part of the ward is.

“We are not even able to use the restored sidewalks because of garbage and weeds from the vacant plots,” Dr Rahman said. Several roads of Ramaswamy Palya ward have been asphalted recently. Roadside drains, as well as sewers, were repaired at several points.

In some cases, the debris of the old manhole covers has been left in the same place even after installing new cover slabs. This is a hurdle to motorists and poses a safety risk.

Stray dog menace

Ramaswamy Palya ward also has a major stray dog problem. The dogs seem to be thriving mainly due to several garbage ‘black spots’ from where they get leftover food. Some of them also chase vehicles and there have been cases of dog bites as well.

Another large vacant plot (with a single wornout goalpost) is being used as a thoroughfare between Church Road and the Fourth Main Road in Chinnappa Garden. A corner of the plot has piles of garbage. Some passersby also attend to nature’s call in a corner of the plot.