Monsoon blues still green

Monsoon blues still green
Deccan Herald

Even if most Bangaloreans are slowly accepting water logging as part of urban living, the residents of Puttenahalli and J P Nagar VI Phase are still grappling with the havoc wreaked by the recent torrential rains.

Even if most Bangaloreans are slowly accepting water logging as part of urban living, the residents of Puttenahalli and J P Nagar VI Phase are still grappling with the havoc wreaked by the recent torrential rains.

Four months post-monsoon, they still wake up to bad roads, crumbling infrastructure and promises unkept by civic authorities.

As of today, there is hardly any sign of improvement in these areas. The slew of promises that were made by authorities to provide basic infrastructure like drainage and roads remain a dream. Adding the first statistic to non-existent storm water drains still remains a job undone.

Reality check

When Deccan Herald conducted a reality check in these areas, it was found that ‘development work’ were being carried out in patches. The rest of the affected localities were lying untouched. The residents, who took to the streets and waylaid the Chief Minister and other VVIPs to vent their ire, seem to have lost some of their spunk too.

Ironically, the only work that is in progress seems to be the laying of the sewerage lines to the Brigade Millennium on 24th Main Road, J P Nagar V Phase, that was taken up even before the rains began.

‘Work in progress’

According to BWSSB Chief Engineer Guruprasad Baily, the ‘work in progress’ signboard is yet to be erected in Puttenahalli and J P Nagar VI Phase.

“We have not yet begun the work. And the work that is in progress has nothing to do with rain-related work. We are currently working on the 1.2 kms (from Brigade Group to Visvesvaraya Circle), connecting sewage lines to main lines,” he explained. The laying of sewage pipes and separation of some of the existing ones from storm water drains is yet to begin too, he added.

Meanwhile, the residents around this area are a disgruntled lot. Jaganath K R, a retired life insurance agent with Life Insurance Corporation, fears that a repeat performance of the October rains would only throw the area in disarray.

“The situation is not going to be any different in the future. If it were to rain heavily today, we fear that the sewage water will again mix with rainwater. We were told that a proper channelising of sewage water and rainwater would be taken up by the authorities. What happened to all of that?” he said.

Mr Munniraj, who stays on 17th cross, J P Nagar, said the CMC officials who had inspected the place, had told them that the height and the depth of the storm water drains would be increased.

“A few contractors, who inspected the area a few weeks ago, told us that the existing slabs would be dislodged and work would be carried out shortly. But we have not heard from them since then,” he added.