Imagine an area in a city that is the epicentre which links two major roads and connects a tech park and an industrial park. You’d think it would be a busy spot in an urban setting, but this area in Bengaluru reeks of civic apathy.
Nallurahalli is a part of Hagaduru ward and is located in central Whitefield. Here, the roads have been dug up for months, there are no footpaths or streetlights, garbage is strewn all over the streets, and the traffic is unbearable.
Just a week ago, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had asphalted a road near the Outer Circle in the area. But four days later, this stretch developed sinkholes.
Angry residents of Nallurahalli and members of Whitefield Rising together organised a protest – Nallurahalli Kapadi or Save Nallurahalli, claiming that civic officials had turned a blind eye to the deteriorating condition of the area.
The protest drew hundreds of residents including school children, who formed a human chain on the 1.5km stretch from the post office till the Ambedkar Statue on Borewell Road. The students held up placards demanding the restoration of civic amenities in the area.
“The BWSSB had dug up the Borewell Road in August 2016 for carrying out underground drainage work. The dug-up roads have not been closed, the silt has piled up and the pollution level has gone up to 440 ppm (parts per million), when it is not supposed to cross 50 ppm. There are 14 schools on this stretch and children have been falling sick regularly due to the dust and pollution,” said Murugaraj Swaminathan of Whitefield Rising.
According to Srinivas, a resident of Nallurahalli and a member of the area’s residents’ welfare association said that numerous complaints were lodged with the BBMP, BWSSB and Bescom over many months, but none of the agencies have taken steps to correct the situation.
“The Borewell Road connects Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) and the International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB). This road is very narrow and it has no footpath. Both sides of the road have been dug up. In addition, the traffic during peak hours is unbearable,” Srinivas said.
“It is also a school zone and there have been numerous accidents on this stretch. The BWSSB was supposed to finish the work by December 2016. Recently, two children fell into the pit and were injured,” he added.
If this level of civic apathy sounds alarming, the area has another major problem: there are no streetlights on the roads. The stretch where Karnataka Promotional Trade Organisation is located, where the concept of streetlights is unknown, has also become a prime location for mugging incidents, resident allege.
“The BBMP and Bescom have been pointing fingers at each other and are refusing to take up the responsibility to install street lights here. Two weeks ago, TEPCO put up one solar light, which does not light up the entire stretch. This area is dangerous for women employees as they have to walk to the main road to board a bus,” said Zibi Jamal of Whitefield Rising.