Shakthi Ganapathi Nagar: Narrow roads choke traffic flow

Rachana Ramesh| NT

 Bengaluru

Shakthi Ganapathi Nagar is not a well-known locality and is often passed off as a portion of Basavesh[1]wara Nagar which is famous for being a quiet host to residential areas. Accord[1]ing to the classification by Bruhat Bengaluru Mah[1]anagara Palike (BBMP), Shakthi Ganapathi Nagar is ward 74 which falls under the west zone under the assembly constituency of Mahalakshmi Layout.

The local residents said they do not undergo many civic issues. “We are provided with water by the authorities every alternate day and the collection of garbage is consistent every morning. There are no major issues in the vicinity,” said Bhagya (name changed), who runs a grocery shop area in the vicinity. However, the road infrastructure in the entire layout is narrow leading to many problems.

 While the bylanes in most neighbourhoods are thin, the main roads in Shakthi Ganapathi Nagar are also narrow and cannot accom[1]modate its bustling population. There is congestion during peak hours making it hard for motorists to manoeuvre. If a breakdown of a vehicle occurs in the middle of one of the lanes, it has the potential to bring all the vehicles to a halt.

Residents have also shown concern that this might be one of the reasons why there is no good connectivity of buses in the vicinity. The size of roads cannot accommodate heavy vehicles.

 The issue of narrow roads is aggravated by road[1]side parking. While the widening of the roads is not an immediate option, prevention of haphazard parking can provide some room for vehicular movement. Along with this, many street vendors and hawkers tend to take up the main roads.

 They have also en[1]croached on footpaths, disrupting pedestrian mobility. “If you ever tried to take a walk in this neighbourhood, it is likely that most of it will happen on the roads. Entire stretches of footpaths are taken over by street vendors with their supplies out on display. The issue becomes aggravated during festival seasons and the narrow roads clearly do not help,” said a pedestrian and resident of ward 74.

 The outlining of the ward has a Rajakaluve that appears to not have been desilted. Residents living in the lining complain of the stench and live with the dread of floods. If the city experiences a consistent, heavy wet spell, the chances of the storm water drain overflowing and the water reaching the houses of these residents is highly likely.

A few lanes have open drains, and despite many requests by the residents, the municipal authorities have done little. The residents point out that this can be easily taken up as a rajakaluve is only a stone’s throw away. The drains could be connected to the main stormwater drain for the smooth flow of rainwa[1]ter when it rains.

 Garbage heaps is rare in this ward, thereby proving that the BBMP’s waste col[1]lection has been a success. Potholes on the other hand are also minimal since the roads cannot accommo[1]date heavy vehicles and the roads are asphalted, capable enough to bear the weight of lightweight vehicles