Yelahanka: The Old Town yearns for a new touch

Yelahanka: The Old Town yearns for a new touch
G Manjusainath and Poornima Nataraj
The third instalment of the interactive, comprehensive CITISENSE series focuses on the development works in Yelahanka constituency. After Janaspandana and the MLAs promises, the area will hopefully get a better tomorrow.

Yelahanka, as many Bangaloreans know, is a historic place since it enjoyed the capital status during ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempe Gowda’s regime. But like most historic places, Yelahanka too is in civic shambles today. Here is a comprehensive reality check on the areas that come under this assembly constituency.

For the record, Yelahanka New Town is certainly on par with the Bangalore standards. But compare it with the old city, or Kempe Gowda’s capital, and you see the ugly exterior hitting your eyes instantly. Like in many undeveloped areas of Bangalore, this old town is beset with major problems of drainage, potable water and roads.

But what is haunting the residents as well as the BBMP officials most is the burial ground. Yelahanka has two prominent burial grounds, both in a pathetic condition. While the one at Surabhi Layout is yet to get its machinery fitted, the second at Venkatala is submerged in water near the water tank. To perform the last rites through electric crematorium, people take the corpses to Hebbal.

Hospital: A Saving Grace:

The government hospital is a saving face of Yelahanka old town. which is yet to rise from its village status. The nicely built hospital is of Taluk level with 100 beds, which has been built in almost one and half acres of area. Doctors certified that it was well equipped. But residents wanted a blood bank, a pediatrician and a lady doctor to handle the delivery cases in the hospital. These facilities are likely to be added soon.
A social worker, Shiv Kumar stressed the need for an ICU because the referral centres like Victoria Hospital, Vani Vilas Hospital and Bowring Hospital were quite far and the precious ‘golden hour’ was lost in taking the patients there.


Railway Station in tatters:

A visit to the Yelahanka railway station will remind you of the Colonial era. The station building looks battered. The platform looks old, and the passengers have a shed where the train head hardly reaches. The lone toilet is always locked simply because of the fear that unscrupulous elements may party there.
“Leave aside the historical importance of Yelahanka. This Railway station is the gateway to the Silicon Valley of India, which the entire country is proud of. This station needs Railways’ attention,” said Narayanamurthy, another social worker.

Encroached Lake:

The Yelahanka old town has a lake spread over seven acres. But a large portion has been encroached upon and the remaining areas have been invaded by water hyacinth and other weeds. In the absence of a public toilet, the lake bed has become the chosen destination for the poor to answer nature’s call. Incidentally, the lake is right behind the apartment of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Gopinath, a resident, lamented that the water table was going down drastically. A few months back, the BBMP had dug four bore-wells in the area as deep as 800 ft.

Venkatala’s Problems:

Venkatala, a village in Yelahanka area, thankfully has a good borewell, located close to the lake. But the villagers are worried about the overhead water tank that they fear might come down anyday claiming several lives. Reason: Many hutments have come up too close to it.

After the Deccan Herald-Prajavani Group’s Janaspandana, some works were initiated in Venkatala. “We are getting concrete road and drains after the Janaspandana. We are also fighting to save our school, which will be razed to widen the Bangalore-Bellary Highway,” said Kempe Gowda.





M L A S P E A K S

S R Vishwanth


On development-works in Yelahanka:
A lot of development works will start soon. Laying of double roads have started in Kamashamma layout and Kondappa layout at a cost of Rs. 1.35 crore, which would be completed by February. Six crores would be spent in five wards and work is likely to start in the second week of January.

On creating new parks:
We would be creating around 53 parks in Yelahanka (including Old town and New town). Rs. 1.10 crore would be spent on park development. Ten parks have already been completed, and another 10 will be completed within 15 days.

On Government Hospital not having a lady gynaecologist:
Yes, I am aware that there is no lady doctor. We have asked for one, and within two months you will find a lady doctor in the hospital.

On Cauvery water supply in the area:
Only the New Town has Cauvery water supply. Many areas are yet to get the connection. In Old town, we have laid the pipelines and are requesting public to fill in the application form for the water connection, but we have not received any response. There is a fee of Rs. 850 which they need to pay to get water meters installed in their houses.

On the poor condition of Yelahanka Railway station:
Yes, I know the entrance to the railway station is not proper. We have proposed to develop the station and the surrounding areas. We have complained to the railway authorities on the lack of shelters and toilets in the station. But the railway authorities have turned deaf to our pleas.

On the leaking overhead tank in Venkatala:
We have requested the concerned authorities to repair the overhead tank or to build a new one. This should be addressed very shortly.

On the advantage of being in the ruling party:

Yes, being an MLA from the ruling party is always advantageous. The request we make is sanctioned,although it takes time.

WORKS IN YELAHANKA
According to MLA
S R VISHWANATH

*123 crores have being sanctioned for the development works in Yelahanka.
*A mini Vidhana Soudha is proposed to be constructed on four acres 10 gunta land in Maruthinagar.
*31 borewells have been excavated and a total 50 motors have been fixed replacing the old ones.
*Nine crores to build double road from Aalalsandra Railway staion to Kogul, eight crores from MS Palya to Mother dairy and another eight crores from MES office to Puttenahalli.


The new Bangalore International Airport is just 10 to 12 km from Yelahanka, Bellary Road (NH-7) cuts through Yelahanka. The highway is proposed to widen further to a 12 lane road which means, many houses including commercial areas and a Government school would be demolished. The road divides Yelahanka where many cross the highway to reach the other side, school children cross this road where fast moving vehicles just rush, there is a need for a over-head bridge or a sub-way for safe crossing.

Areas under Yelahanka constituency

Yelahanka Ward No 1
Govindapura, Vasudevapura, Manchenahalli, Venkatala, Chowdeswari layout, Kamakshiamma layout, Yelahanka, Gandhi Nagar, East Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Judicial Layout, Allalasandra, Judicial Colony and Yelahanka Kere.

Yelahanka Satellite Town Ward No 2

Harohalli, Ananthapura, Kenchenahalli, Doddabettahalli, Attur, Yelahanka New Town, Attur Layout, Udaya Layout, Somanagar, Yelahanka Satellite Town, Chikka Bommasandra, Mother Diary and Jantha Colony.