Shivajinagar desperate for basic civic infrastructure

Shivajinagar desperate for basic civic infrastructure
G Manjusainath and Poornima Nataraj
The seventh instalment of the interactive, comprehensive CITISENSE series throws light on Shivajinagar constituency. Most of the wards are crying for basic facilities and the constituency needs a major facelift.


All the wards of Shivajinagar constituency, with the exception of Jaya-mahal, are in very poor shape. Uncleared garbage tops the grievance list spelt out by people from five out of six wards here. Blocked drainages, mixing of drinking water with sewage and potholed roads are other issues that mar smooth functioning of daily life. Here’s a round-up of the different wards:

Bharathinagar ward

Mounds of garbage can be spotted in all streets of the ward. The playground of an anganwadi has been converted into a huge garbage dump. Ex-corporator of Bharathinagar, M Pari, flayed the BBMP for ignoring the works in his ward. "The Corporation is spending Rs 24 lakh per month for clearing the garbage in three wards, including Bharathinagar. The end result is that garbage has been littered everywhere.”

BBMP has also outsourced the job of clearing garbage in certain areas in the wards to private contractors, he adds. While the contract makes it mandatory to have 55 workers in each ward besides lorries, autos, pushcarts with bells and four different containers to dump the waste, only half the number of workers are engaged and the containers are not utilised.

This thickly-populated area is strewn with garbage all over. Hundreds of homeless people live besides major drains. It goes without saying that the unremoved garbage ensures breeding of mosquitoes in large numbers. Some development works like laying sanitary pipelines and asphalting of roads are in progress. Praveen of Regal Friends Welfare Trust, says that of late, officials were responding to their complaints.

Ulsoor ward

The underground drains are fully choked and sewage flows freely onto the streets. In the 6th Cross, a manhole was opened in the first week of January and the silt removed and dumped onto the road. It is almost a month now but neither has the manhole been covered nor the silt removed. Thomas, who runs a tailoring shop, here said, "Because we have made huge investment in property here, we are compelled to live here. If not, we would have rushed out of the place long back.”

Vasanthanagar

This ward, with its clean and green wards, is the only silver lining in this constituency. It is difficult to meet residents with problems here. "Before we even lodge a complaint, our problems get sorted out. Garbage is cleared everyday, Cauvery water comes regularly, street lights function properly and systematic greening is done in the area,” said a resident with pride. It helps that some top bureaucrats reside here.

Jayamahal ward

However, Chanamma Garden, also a part of Jayamahal, has filth and garbage littered everywhere. "During rainy season, sewage water overflows and gushes into our houses. The reason is that the sewage lines are choked. Even though we call up BWSSB authorities often, our problems hardly get redressed,” said Chanamma, a resident.

Shivajinagar

Blocked drainages can be spotted all over the place. Malfunctioning streetlights and stray dog menace are other daily woes. An additional problem here is the presence of goonda elements. Salma Rahman, who runs Maryam Foundation in Shivajinagar, said her biggest problem was that of drinking water. "The water pipelines are quite old and have got damaged. We suspect that the drinking water comes mixed with sewage water.” Our repeated complaints have gone in vain.

Sampangiramnagar

One of the oldest localities of Bangalore, Sampangiramnagar appears to be getting a minor facelift with the laying of new water pipelines. In this locality, an apartment with 35 residential flats has been constructed for the weaker sections under the JNNURM scheme. The residents presently reside in shanties outside a public toilet waiting for the houses to be handed over to them.

Former ward member R Mallikarjuna highlighted another problem. “ A 40-bedded government maternity home has been made into a state corporate office for the TB eradication programme.”

MLA SPEAKS


Congress candidate from Shivajinagar, R. Roshan Baig, is brimming with ideas on the plans he has chalked out for his constituency. He also seems to be very clear on the causes for the present sorry situation, as spelt out in this chat with G Manjusainath of Deccan Herald. Excerpts....

On garbage strewn all over the area...

The reasons are apparent. There is a garbage mafia at work in the City. Newspapers have clearly highlighted it and the Chief Minister himself has admitted its existence. But no measures have been taken to control it. There is acute shortage of sanitary workers. The present employees are also ill-equipped. They do not have oxygen masks, gum boots, gloves or other safety equipment. It is the lack of these basic precautions that makes them sometimes lose their lives inside manholes. They are paid quite less for the risks they undertake.

On the worsening water crisis in your constituency...

We are repairing or replacing the existing sanitary and water pipelines. We have also undertaken reconstruction of stormwater drains. A substantial amount has been earmarked for it. However, the water scarcity is not restricted to Shivajinagar but is spread across the entire City.

On plans for Bowring Hospital...

An Intensive Care Unit will be set up inside the hospital soon. Thanks to philanthropists, the hospital will have a new Burns ward shortly. Corrupt officials and doctors are selling medicines meant for the poor and creating problems. There is an urgent need to check this.

Other welfare initiatives...

I am focusing on insurance and other benefits for those working in the unorganised sector. We have roped 750 people from Shivajinagar into the scheme.