Slums, industries, chaos rule here

Slums, industries, chaos rule here
The Times of India



Bangalore: Swarming of bees: that about sums up the traffic chaos in Bangalore’s semiindustrial hub Dasarahalli. The not-so-flamboyant CMC does not boast of anything but a plethora of industries. A whopping 1,800 of them — mostly machine tools and garments - are housed here. To say nothing of the mammoth pressure exerted on the feeble roads in the area.

A plaintive cry of residents and CMC officials themselves is the chaotic traffic, perennially. The CMC came into being in 1996 after panchayats were upgraded to urban areas. The merger has an oddity. A quarter of the merged areas now fall under the jurisdiction of BMP as Peenya Industrial ward, the remaining three-fourth has been amalgamated with Dasarahalli CMC.

Labourers and industry workers form the demographics of this CMC. In the 1990s, the area was renowned as Asia’s fast-emerging industrial hub but almost immediately lost out to Okhla in New Delhi — thanks to poor infrastructure. With a population of 2.6 lakh, the area still rakes in Rs 11 crore as property tax. This is apparently the only source of revenue for the CMC, as displayed by its current budget with an outlay of Rs 24 crore. Officials say that initially the budget stood at Rs 19 crore, but was increased after councillors created a hue and cry. Explains a resident of the area, Joseph :“The traffic is impossible to manage here, it’s packed always, peak hours are a nightmare. Accidents are very common.’’

“Water supply is a recent addition here. The Cauvery water supply project has just taken off and will be some time before all households get adequate water supply. Even a year ago, one house in the layout would get a borewell connection and distribute it to 7-8 households.’’ With such undeveloped areas like Laggere and Sunkadakatte, the CMC has a tough task ahead if it has to go in for an overhaul, given the nature of its demographics. There are 17 slums in all of Dasarahalli, of which seven are notified slums. CMC commissioner C G Suprasanna explains the range of challenges, “During the floods last year, only 10 wards were affected here, that too because revenue land has been sold as layouts. We received Rs 1.5 crore as flood relief.’’

“As for traffic, people commute from Tumkur, Dobbespet, etc. Workers come in from all over because of the industries. Also, there are national highways slicing through the area, which means there is a lot of movement of trucks. Therefore Hessaraghatta main road, Laggere main road, Sunkadakatte, are always crowded. ‘’

Some developmental work is under way. The CMC will be receiving, in instalments, a Rs 4.59 crore loan from the KUIFDC, half of which the municipality will have to match with grants. But when will it breathe?

DATA OF DEVELOPMENT WORKS


KUIFDC Loan of Rs 4.59 crore — being utilised for road works

KIADB Road and Peenya Hegganahalli main road — completed

23 bus routes for asphalting — yet to start

Flood relief works — 30 wards desilted





Debris lies right on the side of Peenya Main Road on Saturday. The roads in Dasarahalli are congested due to heavy traffic, now debris takes up additional road-space. (Below) Uncleared garbage beside a culvert.