BWSSB work throws Koramangala off-gear

Men ‘still’ at work: continue to take diversion
Times of India

Koramangala: The area boasts of being a universe of its own. It has a constellation of parks and playgrounds, clubs and nightouts, cuisines and fashions and institutions that could bring stars closer to eye. It has defined the way Bangalore is right now housing most of the IT community. But some black spots too decorate Koramangala.

One of them is the long-pending BWSSB work. Since a year, pipe-laying work on the 80 feet peripheral road has thrown the area out of gear. Because of the ‘work-inprogress’, traffic is diverted to residential inlets causing not just traffic jams and noise pollution but freak accidents too. “Each time we complain, we’re asked to wait for two weeks. It’s been a year now and even today the BWSSB has the same answer — work will be completed in two weeks,’’ said A.V. Balakrishnan, a resident.

The high-heeled people of the locality are left in the lurch — all they have is a set of dates. Again, a fresh deadline has come about — BWSSB chairman S.K. Pattnayak has promised that work would see the end before Dassara.
Ask about the delay and pat come the stock answers. “The equipment did not arrive from Mumbai. So we could not complete the work on time,’’ said Jagannatha Prakash, BWSSB official. But he has some good words too. “Work’ll start on 10th (of this month) and it’ll be completed in two weeks.’’ But the year-long delay, in instalments of two-week extensions, has also damaged the interior roads of the locality as heavy vehicles are plying on the interior roads now.

“We approached the BCC commissioner to re-lay the roads as soon as the BWSSB completes their work. But he says, there are no funds,’’ said R. Ramamurthy of Koramangala Residents’ Association. “Grappling with fundamental issues like traffic and water is something that takes up so much of our time,’’ said Kiran C., another resident. Door to door, office to office — this is not the first time residents are being forced to to pick the knob stick. Now, the residents have planned to launch a satyagraha and close down vehicular movement on all roads in Koramangala.