ATTN BBMP: Bad roads, black spots hound Sunkenahalli residents

Sanjay R Murty | NT
Bengaluru

The Sunkenahalli Ward, which comes under the Chickpet Assembly Constituency, is surrounded by the VV Puram, Basavanagudi and Hanumanthnagar wards. Kempegowda Nagar, Gavipuram Guttahalli, Gavipuram Extension, most of Shankarapuram and the north-western part of Basavanagudi are the areas under the ward. Portions of Hanumanthnagar and Raghavendra Colony (Chamarajpet) also come under ward no. 142.

The western boundary of Sunkenahalli ward is along Kempambudhi Lake. The road along the lake (Devanathachar Street) has a few ‘black spots’ where garbage is dumped near the compound wall of the lake premises. Another stretch prone to garbage dumping is the Gavipuram curve near Chatram block. The vacant stretch next to the block has made it easy for irresponsible citizens to dump rubbish and drive away.

A BBMP school is situated in the north-western corner of Sunkenahalli ward, just across the road from Kempambudhi lake. This school was neglected to a large extent. The building is in a deplorable state and is undergoing repair. The area around the school, which was supposed to have a playground, is full of weeds and debris. Garbage has also been dumped on the school premises. Another BBMP school is located adjacent to the public library. However, this school has long been closed due to poor student strength.

Residents of the Gavipuram Guttahalli slum expressed concern over the frequency of water supply. Roads near the slum also need repairs. The road connecting Kempegowda Nagar Main Road and Devanathachar Street has several potholes and many black spots.

Shankarapuram and Basavanagudi areas under the ward do not seem to have major civic issues. They also have very few black spots. The part of Basavanagudi includes the bustling Gandhi Bazar Road and DVG Road which intersect at the Gandhi Bazar Circle. Gandhi Bazar road is lined with flower stalls and other shops. Some of them dump their flower waste on the road, causing inconvenience to pedestrians. People coming to restaurants here often park their cars irresponsibly on the road. Instances of double-parking are not rare in this stretch. DVG Road, unlike the Gandhi Bazar road, is not a wide road. It suffers from traffic blockages now and then due to the overcrowding of shoppers and their vehicles.

Roadside drains in several stretches in Hanumanth Nagar are being cleaned and the stone slabs replaced. The debris from the drains has been dumped on the road, reducing their width and causing inconvenience to motorists.

On some roads here, the debris has not been cleared even after the completion of work. This includes unused slabs and bricks. Parks across Sunkenahalli ward are getting a facelift. The iron gills fixed over the short compound walls have been removed in multiple parks of the ward. The National College Ground’s compound wall has been demolished and the stones have been dumped inside the ground, reducing the space available for play. The ‘triangle’ park is a small park in Gavipuram Extension. Apart from the absence of a protective grill over the compound walls, the park also lacks maintenance.