Roads exasperate all

Roads exasperate all
The Times of India

Yelahanka: Commuting in and around Yelahanka is a nightmare. Why? Innumerable potholes, narrow and muddy roads and in a few cases, absolutely no roads. That’s the sad tale of satellite town Yelahanka, formed a few decades ago.

The condition of roads in Yelahanka has been debated time and again. With the international airport slated to come up at Devanahalli, Yelahanka is now, one of the most important satellite towns around Bangalore. Despite knowing that sundry new residential colonies are mushrooming in Yelahanka, the government is doing precious little to develop the area.

United Residents Association general secretary Laxman Patil said: The most pressing problem in our area is lack of infrastructure. An apex committee, comprising 11 associations from old and new Yelahanka, meet every second Saturday. Despite letters, meetings with CMC officials and reminding them over the phone, the babus just dont act on it.

Its not just residents who are exasperated with the abysmal roads in Yelahanka, which comprises Upanagara fourth phase, Upanagara fifth phase, old Yelahanka town and Attur Layout. Even auto drivers who ply in the locality recount their bad experiences. Because of the bad roads, we dont earn even the little that we used to earlier, a few said.

Joining issue are BMTC bus drivers. Observed K Basavanna, a BMTC driver plying on this route for the past six years: What used to take just 10 minutes from Upanagara to NES now takes 25 minutes. The BMTC expects us to ply 250 km a day, which works out to 12 trips between Majestic and Upanagara. Due to bad roads and road widening work from Allalasandra till Hebbal flyover, we are unable to meet the requirement. We end up plying late, cancelling trips and affecting our health as well.

Area sub inspector Basavarajaiah too blames it on the system. He said: Traffic police invite the area CMC, KEB and BWSSB officials and apprise them of the pressing need to improve roads. However their promises are hollow.

Yelahanka CMC commissioner Mohammad Kalim Ulla said: Due to incessant and unprecedented rain this year, roads have been badly affected. The government has sanctioned Rs one crore and an additional sum of Rs 2-3 crore is also awaited to repair roads. Besides this, the DC has allocated Rs 9 lakh. These funds will be utilised to asphalt and resurface roads. The repair works will be completed by the end of January 2006.

Is this yet another empty promise or has do the babus spell real action? Only time can tell!