Bengaluru: Potholes, traffic - MLA Raghu says deadline is April 11

Bengaluru: The frustration felt by the residents of HAL 2nd Stage for years was addressed by MLA Raghu on Saturday. Visiting the 8th Cross Road to listen to various issues faced by the locals, Mr Raghu offered solutions and set immediate targets.

“The condition of the 8th Cross Road, between 12th and 13th Main, is bad and it has a number of potholes. Many accidents have taken place and many pedestrians have suffered injuries in the past  3-4 years because of these potholes. The entire stretch gets blocked if there is one accident,” said Ms Deepa, a resident, adding that lack of footpaths has put children and older people at risk.

Traffic is bad because the Sai Darshan Road, perpendicular to 8th Cross, is a one-way. Residents complained to Mr Raghu and accompanying BBMP officials that buses from National Public School are parked haphazardly in front of their houses, hampering their movement.

The area, has trees, residents and civic works that are decades old. There is a threat to life, as these massive ageing trees are giving away, falling on people's homes. A resident of the area for 36 years, senior citizen Mrs Acharya said, “Two years ago, the tree in front of my house collapsed on my terrace. What if it had killed one of us? These are rain trees meant to be in forests or highways. I warned the BBMP officials much earlier, but they didn't act in time."
This official apathy caused her to spend Rs 1 lakh to remove the fallen tree and repair the damage.

This hazard is common to people's terraces and compound walls in multiple homes. A common response the residents often hear from the BBMP is that the tree-loving public will oppose cutting of trees.

Ms Chitra, another resident, said that the roots of the tree right outside her home is coming out of the soil, and she feared another disaster in the near future.

“Garbage is burnt regularly at the graveyard nearby. Everyone dumps garbage there, but we don't know who sets it on fire. The fumes envelope the entire area," Ms Chitra complained to the BBMP engineers.

Former Director General and Inspector General of Police and a resident, S.N.S. Murthy, said, “The drains cannot handle the load. They are old and placed on either side of the road. There is no connection to the main drain pipe, which is why these smaller ones get blocked. When it rains, it wreaks havoc.”

The BBMP officials said that while road, drain and footpath work fell under their jurisdiction, they would inform the traffic police about the remaining issues.

“We will write to the traffic police about heavy congestion on the road perpendicular to 8th Cross. We will suggest placing of convex mirrors, to help approaching motorists and drivers. We will inform them about parking of NPS School buses too," said Executive Engineer Amruth Kumar.

MLA Raghu, taking into account the pending civic works, said, “Rs 25 lakh has been allotted for road, drain and footpath works under the Nagarottana Scheme for 8th Cross. On April 11, we will come again to inspect and begin the works. The amount will not be enough, but we will adjust against the allotment for other lanes."

He said, “For three wards in this area, Rs 17 crore has been allotted. Though the contractor was chosen, he had multiple works in the same area and the 8th Cross work did not begin. We will first do the drain work and then begin asphalting.”Residents have pinned their hopes on the April 11 deadline and are expecting the work to begin then.