Bengaluru: A quiet locality ruined by garbage, sleaze

Bengaluru: From a quiet, much sought after neighbourhood, Indiranagar has now turned into a party hub with pubs and illegal eateries dotting the area, all thanks to the connivance by the civic authorities. This has led to garbage pile ups and blocked drains. In addition there is also a spurt in crime with drugs and prostitution rings functioning in the area.

From Drugs, illegal joints to pavement parking, black spots...You name it, Indiranagar has it. "I am sitting in my house which is vibrating and windows are rattling. The pub next door has its generator switched on 24/7. Their chimney constantly blows smoke into my home. The incessant noise of music goes on till 1 am," said Aruna Newton, President of HAL 2nd stage association.

A 360 degree view of what ails the Indiranagar wards reveals years of neglect and even connivance by authorities in the deterioration of their condition. All problems boil down to one root cause - Illegal commercialisation in a purely residential area.

Aruna has filed 280 RTIs to the BDA and BBMP, for each and every commercial establishment. "Commercial joints like eateries do not segregate their waste. They dump it in public places, inviting rats, some of them as big as puppies. They hose down the kebab machine, the grease enters the storm water drain and clogs it," Aruna said.

To add to the residents’ misery, the area has sewer pipes that are four-decade-old and holding way above their carrying capacity. Hence blockages are rampant.

During rainy season the flood of grease spills drain water on the road. The nearby microbreweries also release untreated effluents, some of which are inflammable, into the drains and residents fear a Bellandur lake situation in their sewer system.

A 40 feet road built for homes is not equipped to handle rampant commercial growth, which is exactly what has happened over the decades in Indiranagar.

Being a party and pub centre of Bengaluru, loud music from illegal pubs goes on till 1 am, after which drunken revelries continue on the street.

"On a 40 feet road, you have a software company, eateries, pubs. Naturally, the 70 people working in one building bring their two wheelers and park it on the pavement, road. Should I be able to get out of my house or not?" said a resident, on condition of anonymity.

Chitra, another RWA member said, "The black spots used to be huge. Autos were not regular. There was no temporary space to pick up the dry waste from. My husband and I personally hired a private contractor to clear a black spot." Apparently, not only Chitra but all other tax-paying residents engage in voluntary garbage clearance.

"Nearly 25-30 per cent of the waste comes from commercial establishments. They do not segregate or dispose it properly. They are supposed to tie up with private contractors who will take waste to the landfill. Instead, they litter the roads," she said.

Crime is another major issue in the many wards of Indiranagar. "Massage parlours in residential areas also work as prostitution centres. There are people coming to pick up women on their bikes. There are men selling dope. When residents are about to take a picture, they pack up and run away," Aruna said, adding that youngsters can be seen consuming drugs through syringes in playgrounds.

BDA has responded to her RTIs saying none of the commercial establishments have been given the conversion permit, from residential ones. However, the 280 RTIs filed in the BBMP about trade licence permits given to these commercial joints has not received a response since August.

Residents allege that BBMP has allowed illegal commercialisation in Indiranagar right under their nose and it has the blessings of higher-ups.

‘Coordinated efforts needed to curb illegal eateries’
Interview with C R Lakshminarayan, Corporator of Domlur, Ward 112

The drain pipes are four decades old, constantly getting blocked. Why so?
The replacing of drain pipes has started from 7th main. The old pipes were 6 inches wide and could not handle drain water. The new ones are 9 inches and larger carrying capacity and hence will not get blocked.

There is incessant parking on pavement and roads...
The roads are congested, with drunk people parking their vehicles, throwing their bottles and causing nuisance to residents. There is nothing I can do about it as the traffic police are responsible. The law and order is the responsibility of the police. They must round up these people, but have failed to do so.

There are quite a few black spots, which have come up due to eateries...
Garbage is being cleared from residents' homes regularly. The Health Inspector is supposed to come, inspect and fine the commercial establishments. They generate waste in bulk. The official has to catch hold of them which is yet to happen.

All problems are happening due to illegal commercialisation. What can be done?
This is the biggest issue in the whole of Bengaluru. Commercial joints have encroached residential areas and they have already got trade licences. The police, BBMP Commissioner, Joint Commissioner must vacate them. There is not much we can do at the ward level. This is an issue on the level of storm water drain encroachments and they will have to be demolished. The electricity board gives commercial ratings to the illegals joints, BBMP gives them trade licence. There needs to be a single window to coordinate between BWSSB, BBMP and police.