Problems aplenty with no solution in sight

Problems aplenty with no solution in sight
The Times of India

Bangalore: Koramangala — the hotbed of the promised Good Life, all the urban amenities, cyber cafes and food joints by the dozen a road, the hip and happening crowd. Koramangala — also nicknamed macchar mangala — the place with the infamous drain valley, unasphalted roads, sewage blockages and dug trenches.

Exasperated citizens under the fora of residents welfare associations like the Koramangala Swabhimana and Koramangala Residents’ Civic Group, are planning to file a public interest litigation against what they call, rampant commercialisation of the area. Sites allotted for residential purposes are being milched for commercial reasons, they allege.

Despite being hailed as a priority destination for real estate, the area is bogged down by its own plethora of problems. Sample these civic issues denizens grapple with on an everyday basis:

The Koramangala valley drain is one of the four major storm water drains in the city. Sewage is let into it from the layouts in low-level areas which cannot be serviced by underground drainage lines without the help of wet wells and pumps. A court directive to stop letting sewage into the storm water drain is not yet enforced. A recurring problem thanks to the drain is the flooding of low-level areas like Ejipura. BCC’s response — there is a Rs 60-crore project to remodel the drain, work will begin soon.

Sources in the BCC also inform there is a proposal to have an alternative drainage system in the Army area between Airport Road and Koramangala. “We are negotiating with the Army people to give their land,’’ says an officer.

A large layout of 60 acres slated to come up between S.T. Bed Layout and Bellandur tank has had members of Koramangala Swabhimana see red. And they would be filing a PIL on this issue too. Says G.V.R. Reddy, area convener: “There is a directive to the forest department to develop a forest in this area. This land is a marshy wetland, if converted into a residential area, it cannot take the water logging and will turn into another Ejipura. It makes sense to retain this as Ammanakere tank, which is what this originally is.’’

As for the ‘rampant commercialisation’ of the area, apparently notices have been served on several buildings, owners of whom have obtained permission for residential buildings and later converted them for commercial purposes.
“Pulling them up is difficult, many have obtained stay orders from the court,’’ admits a BCC official.

As for the traffic riding the new IT wave here, it will drive you crazy.