Thalaghattapura: Home to forests and concrete jungles

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: The Thalaghattapura ward (198) is a 5.34 square kilometre stretch with a wide variety of plants and animal species living alongside an urban landscape.

With a population of 15,536 people, 8,271 men and 7,265 female population, the area has experienced massive development in the last decade and many reputed supermarkets, eating joints, educational institutions, shopping centres, jewellery stores, recreation centres opening up.

The Thalaghattapura metro station on Namma Metro’s Green Line has ensured good connectivity to the city. Thalaghattapura shares space with the Turahalli Forest which is home to spotted deers, jackals, lizards, snakes, mongooses, hares, and peacocks.

The forest experiences a widespread of Habenaria roxburghii, which is a type of terrestrial orchard, and a wild rush of fig trees laid out alongside many wild trees and plants, making it a very fertile land. The local market is full of fresh fruits and vegetables which are locally grown and sourced.

Many enthusiastic photographers, cyclists, and joggers use the Turahalli stretch for recreational activities and to be one step closer to nature, in a place that exists in the heart of the city. However, on the flip side, the area suffers from neglect by the civic authorities when it comes to garbage disposal, uneven roads, and street lighting.

Numerous core roads are cut up with an uneven lavish spread of gravel due to which many cars and bikes have suffered accidents due to skidding and flat tires. The numerous potholes dotting the road are a safety hazard during rains. Radhika Krishnan resident of Adarsha Layout, Thalaghattapura said, “The roads near my apartment, which connect to Kanakapura Main Road, are full of potholes.

The area also lacks streetlights and footpaths, and it is a safety hazard at night." The Adarsha Layout road surface is mostly made of mud with little traces of asphalt, and it is a nightmare for bikers, cyclists, and even car users.

Nisha Reené, a human resource manager living in Judicial Layout said, "My brother and I have our houses on either side of Thalaghattapura metro, and every time I visit them, I see two different faces of the area.

On comparing the two localities she continued saying, "Judicial Layout has fairly decent roads and regular garbage collection along with timely maintenance work of pipes, wires and well-lit streets at night. The other side, however, towards the Turahalli side, is full of open dumps, potholes, and people living in dire conditions which worsens their livelihood during heavy rains. The roads are very dangerous at night as there is not a single street light at that part of town."

Many daily wages and contractual workers reside in the nearby construction spots and at the many Industrial establishments such as Chocolate factories and Resorts which have come up across the boulevard and are open to hosting marriages and entertainment activities.

As per a police official from Thalaghattapura police station, “The crime rate is typically low in the area, once in a while we get some theft-related complaints. We carry out regular patrols with three cars and five bikes from 6.30 am to 11.30 pm with a few extra hours on weekends.”

It is true that Thalaghattapura has two faces one that is ever so blissful and is a getaway stay with a secure connection with the metropolitan part of the city and the other is the harsh realities of below-poverty-line individuals who do not get to enjoy the same infrastructural tranquility that some of the many residents of Thalaghattapura enjoy.

News Trail contacted the BBMP authorities and the Corporates who reside in the Judicial Layout area were unavailable to comment on the civic woes of Thalaghattapura