Apathy: JP Nagar residents cry foul

Apathy: JP Nagar residents cry foul
Deccan Herald

Though there are many posh apartment complexes in the area, residents moan that the infrastructure is too bad.

For a locality with over 30,000 houses, well-maintained roads, regular water supply and adequate street lighting becomes default provisions. However, it’s a life less than ideal for the residents of JP Nagar 7th and 8th Phases. The area, dotted by private residential layouts, is witnessing a spate of construction activities but what the surrounding infrastructure promises is far from fine living.

Federation of JP Nagar (Kothanur) Residents Welfare Association President H S Nagaraj says, “There are 25 layouts coming under the Federation and the residents are ready to contribute money towards improving the infrastructure of the area. We can collect around Rs 50 crore from over 30,000 houses in these 25 layouts.” The Federation will hold a hunger strike on Sunday morning protesting against the Bommanahalli City Municipal Council’s apathy towards providing civic amenities in the area.

Mr Nagaraj says residents of the RBI Layout have paid Rs 70 lakh to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) towards development of roads, water supply and street lights three years go, but the facilities are yet to reach the residents. “Meanwhile, the CMC is giving permission for amenities like Cauvery water supply for BDA layouts, ignoring requirements of small plots and individual houses,” he says.

“The roads were last asphalted in 2003. With many real estate projects starting in the area, more trucks are plying on these narrow roads, in the process wearing them out. On these roads, autorickshaw drivers demand fares which are one-and-a-half times higher than normal,” says Mr Nagaraj.

Federation Secretary Mr Anantha Padmanabha says the CMC has failed to provide proper drinking water supply to the area. “Residents are dependent on groundwater supply, which is inadequate during summer. The CMC has a project worth Rs 170 crore with a private company for laying drinking water pipelines, but the plan is still on paper,” he says.

Lack of street lights has also hit the layouts badly, according to Mr Padmanabha who says taking roads like Puttenhalli Tank Bund Road has become risky after nightfall.