Development dawns with a package of problems

Development dawns with a package of problems
The Times of India

Bangalore: BTM Layout is going the way of any other upmarket residential area in the city. And characteristic of the development is a fast diminishing green cover, chaotic traffic and mushrooming commercial establishments among others.

Development has not come without its share of problems. With the Ring Road cutting across the huge locality, commercial establishments and ap a r t m e n t blocks have mushroomed in the last few years. The 29th Main and 16th Main roads are two other prominent areas which are packed with offices, showrooms, restaurants, etc.

According to some residents, the area was fairly well-planned and was a quiet residential locality until a few years ago. A major portion of the area come under the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) limits and development has been largely unorganised.

“But now it cannot take the load and the main culprit is the flyover which is not completed. There is spillage of traffic on every bylane. Pollution levels are rising,’’ a resident said.

If residents of BTM III Stage are faced with frequent floods when the Madivala lake overflows, those near Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, where the flyover is coming up, have to put up with choking clouds of dust throughout the day.
With traffic diversions around the construction site, motorists have to manoeuvre through the maze of narrow bylanes in the area. “Due to the diversion, all kinds of vehicles including heavy motor vehicles ply on these stretches which is a nuisance to residents,” said S. Ahad, a resident of 29th Main.

Commercial complexes coming up in the area, specially on main roads, have brought with them a large floating population and also vehicles.

“BTM Layout is another Koramangala in the making with many commercial establishments coming up in a residential area. There are also a lot of encroachments. It is like any other developing part of the city,’’ said another resident, Arun S.

The area which has grown rapidly, now stretches upto Hulimavu off Bannerghatta Road which is BTM 6th stage. The area, which comes under a city municipal council (CMC), is under neglect and with a lack of any monitoring, several unauthorised constructions have come up. Development has also largely been unorganised. The area also contributes to violations from encroachments and flouting building by-laws.

Lalu Narayan of the NGO Kathalaya in BTM Layout says: “It’s a chaotic situation with lots of people, vehicles and pollution. Development has not been in an organised way. The area cannot take the load now.’’