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Dasarahalli constituency in Bengaluru is a key constituency which houses one of the largest industrial areas known as the Peenya Industrial Area. The constituency also houses a large population of migrant workers who came to Bengaluru to find better job prospects. Small-scale industry owners located in Peenya and the residents of the constituency have said that their problems of bad road conditions and ineffective waste management are yet to be resolved.
“Over the years, traffic congestion has increased in the area. Tumkur flyover and Jalahalli cross are major bottlenecks in the area. While there is a metro, the connectivity is poor as the area also does not have enough feeder buses to connect the inner areas to the metro station,” said Murali Krishna B, former president of Peenya Industries Association.
He also said that the Shivapura lake in the area is severely polluted due to sewage being let into the lake. “We have complained to BWSSB and BBMP several times, but they do not pay heed to our concerns. BBMP also does not collect waste from our area daily, which leads to huge heaps of garbage piling up on the sides of the road. The stench coming from the garbage makes it unbearable to live in the area,” he added.
Ranganath, a resident of Dasarahalli who works as an autorickshaw driver, said that it is very difficult to ferry customers in the area due to congestion caused by the Tumkur flyover. “Entry of heavy vehicles on the flyover has been prohibited for more than a year due to which the large vehicles cause severe traffic jams in the area. Even a short distance of a couple of kilometres can sometimes take more than 20-30 minutes,” he said.
Several others echoed how the roads were in bad condition resulting in frequent accidents. “The roads are filled with potholes and authorities do not bother to fill them up. Even if they get filled, the quality of work is so bad that it only takes one rain to wash it away. Several motorists find it difficult to navigate the roads and often get in road accidents that can be deadly. Every few months, we hear of someone who fell due to a pothole,” said Ravi, who runs a small grocery store near the Dasarahalli metro station.
Many of the migrant workers that TNM spoke to said that they preferred to walk to their workplaces since the traffic and road conditions in the area combined can take them a long time to reach their companies. “All of us have rented homes within walking distance of our companies. If we live far away, a lot of time is wasted travelling, and if we are late, we suffer from pay cuts. Living close by is very convenient for us since we do not have to worry about whether there will be traffic or if the bus reaches late,” said Mohammed Shahid, a migrant worker from Bihar.
All of the residents that TNM spoke to said that the MLA, R Manjunatha from Janata Dal (Secular)[JD)S)], did not interact with them or visit their areas to understand their concerns despite the upcoming Assembly elections. “We have often raised our concerns to the MLA about the poor infrastructure in the area, but he still has not acted upon them. We have been asking for Peenya to be declared a township, but that has not materialised. The status of a township would help us improve the much-needed infrastructure in Peenya on our own rather than depending on the government for it,” Murali Krishna B said.
In 2008 and 2013, BJP's S Muniraju emerged victorious. However, in 2018, he was defeated by Manjunatha, who won by a margin of 10,709 votes. In the upcoming elections, Manjunatha will again face Muniraju. The Congress party has fielded G Dhananjaya. Kirthan Kumar Manjappa is also contesting as a candidate from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).