TIMES CIVIC — 3 GANDHINAGAR

TIMES CIVIC — 3 GANDHINAGAR
Crime grips Gandhinagar Pvt Buses Park In Bylanes; Central Jail Turns A Den Of Vice
The Times of India

Bangalore: Chaos and congestion mark Gandhinagar, the nerve centre of the city — potholed roads, dozens of wine shops and bar joints, perpetual jangle of private buses on narrow roads, a park that is a haven for rowdies and the Central Jail premises which is open house for prostitutes.

The constituency, with a population of 1,80,000, has a huge floating population because of the Majestic Bus Stand and city railway station. “There is no sense of security in the area. With the innumerable wine shops, there is commotion till late in the night. Our complaints have fallen on deaf ears, and each month, a new wine store opens,’’ said Sreemala R, a resident.

Sreemala’s fears are not unfounded. Though Gandhinagar is largely commercial, housing offices of Kannada film distributors, lawyers and silk traders, there are still some old bungalows. Their residents have seen the area dissolve into mayhem.

“Because private buses are parked in almost all the bylanes, it is difficult for residents to step out in the mornings. Returning home after 10 pm is nearly impossible; drivers and cleaners are totally drunk and sit around the lanes and create commotion,’’ said another resident.
Each time it rains, the narrow roads are reduced to deep slushy pits and when it’s sunny and bright, driving through is one long bumpy ride.

“The roads in the area are not designed to take the load of gigantic buses, and we have only kutcha patches for roads. The government has totally neglected the area, which is becoming a haven for crime,” said V Putturaj, a lawyer.

Today, the expansive premises of Central Jail are being used as a casting yard by the Bangalore Development Authority for the Anand Rao flyover. Here is where the Freedom Park, conceptualised in 2002, will stand. As of now, it is stuck in red tape: its 22 acres have been turned into a community toilet and den of shame.

PLUS POINTS AND A RAY OF HOPE

•At the heart of Bangalore, Gandhinagar provides quick access to most parts of the city.

•Constant water and power supply, except those few interruptions when Bescom carries out some work.

• Gandhinagar has not seen flooding when it pours.

• The Anand Rao Circle flyover promises to decongest traffic in a large way and the widening of Shivananda Stores underpass will also reduce the jam there.

•Once the Freedom Park is ready, Gandhinagar will boast of the tallest tower and some lung space for recreation and relaxation.

DID YOU KNOW?
Gandhinagar was created between 1921 and 1931, and boasted of vast mangroves. Their destruction and subsequent conversion into layouts sounded the death knell for the loras, white-eyes, garblers and fly-catchers.

The area is also congested with shopkeepers dumping waste on the narrow roads
Gandhinagar has become the nerve centre of the city with thousands of shops and an equal or double number of hawkers.


MLASPEAK: DINESH GUNDU RAO
“Over the years, Gandhinagar has slowly become a commercial area. Because of the Majestic Bus Stand, almost everyone entering the city lands up in Gandhinagar. So it is difficult to keep the area as clean as Kumara Park or Basavanagudi. There was a proposal to create a parking bay for private buses in Jakkarayanakere, but because the Metro rail station is coming up there, we will have to find an alternative.’’