Bengaluru: The Tannery Road residents feel neglected as they have to live with narrow roads, maddening traffic, poor drainage system and garbage pile ups.
The BBMP plan to widen the road is yet to take off. Due to the current rainy spell, the drains are overflowing. This attracts mosquitoes and diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya which are common during monsoon
The residents of Tannery Road and adjoining lanes feel neglected as they have to live with narrow roads, maddening traffic, poor drainage system and garbage pile ups, while those living in nearby localities are comparatively better off.
“While the people of other areas are demanding more lung space, lake rejuvenation, bicycle tracks and dedicated lanes, we have been demanding motorable pothole free roads for movement of emergency services like ambulances and fire engines,” lamented William Raj.
Recently a resident needed urgent medical assistance and had to be carried to main road to access the ambulance as the vehicle could get into narrow lanes in Tannery Road and surrounding areas.
On top of it, construction materials like sand and steel and debris have been stocked on road side, thereby further shrinking the road width. Although the BBMP has plans to widen the Tannery Road with Transferable Development Rights (TDR), the project has not taken off yet.
Raj, an electrician and a resident of Tannery Road area, said they feel as if they have stepped into heaven when they go to neighbouring areas such as HRBR, Kalyan Nagar and HBR Layout, which have wider roads, better footpath and drains. Here, it is almost impossible to differentiate between drains and roads during monsoon and footpaths are almost non-existent, he said.
The drainage system
The drainage system on Tannery Road is improper and garbage collection irregular. Even the electrical poles are in poor shape and many lean on to nearby structures.
Garbage pile ups attract mosquitoes and residents are exposed to health hazards and diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya are common in these areas during every monsoon. The locality has been ignored lot, Raj rued.
Even the area surrounding the BBMP Maternity hospital has mounds of garbage, posing heath hazard to newborns and their mothers. The babies are exposed to various diseases, he added.
‘We have fined builders for dumping construction material on roads’
The drainage system in and around Tannery road is in a pathetic state. What have you done to improve them?
The Tannery Road area is scattered into four different wards. Of course, drainage system is bad. But, after Vijay Bhaskar took over as the chairman of the BWSSB, the Devara Jeevanahalli ward has seen development on the underground drainage front. Some of the pending works like laying 400 mm diameter pipe have been expedited.
The roads in the area are very narrow and stocking construction materials have further reduces its width. Why don’t you ensure the roads are free from such obstructions?
We have levied penalty and slapped notices to builders and contractors for blocking the roads with construction materials. However, we cannot completely stop someone from constructing a house. We have to bear with them. With our persistent request, now, not much construction materials are being stocked on the road side.
Why Solid Waste Management in such a bad shape at this ward? What plans to you have to keep the ward clean and hygienic?
Things have changed from what it was in the past. I have succeeded in getting top officials to the ward and made them understand the problems here.
Now, we have about 17 teams formed and garbage will be cleared on daily basis. It gets accumulated only when the dumping is stopped at landfills or processing units.
