The stench that has failed to reach officials’ nostrils

The stench that has failed to reach officials’ nostrils


Garbage left uncleared has made Someshwaranagar slum an inhospitable place for the residents.
N R MadhusudhanFirst Published : 09 Apr 2009 04:28:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 09 Apr 2009 04:45:02 AM IST
BANGALORE: Poor solid waste management, narrow lanes, drinking water problem and bad roads are just a few of the woes plaguing Chikpet constituency.
Chikpet comprises of some posh areas like Jayanagar, Basavanagudi, Vishveshwarapuram, Wilson Garden, besides slums like Someshwaranagar, J C Nagar and market areas like Kalasipalyam, Chikpet, K R Market and Gandhi Bazaar.
The slums and markets have been neglected, while the posh areas have been well-maintained.
Solid waste management is very bad at Someshwaranagar slum, Kalasipalyam APMC yard and K R Market.
Piles of garbage lie uncleared on the narrow roads of Someshwaranagar for days on end. The residents of Someshwaranagar are forced to live in abominable conditions as there are no proper drinking water facilities or drainage system.
People say that drainage water enters their homes unable to flow smoothly through the narrow drainage pipes that are clogged most of the time. Complaints to concerned officials fall on deaf ears.
People in Someshwaranagar slum virtually cry for clean drinking water. Even the irregular supply of drinking water they get is contaminated with sewage water. Peculiarly, residents have to open the taps and let the waste water flow out for one hour, before getting clean drinking water. The drinking water problem exists in parts of Wilson Garden, Lakkasandra, Siddapura, Kempegowdanagar and Chinnayyanapalya.
Solid waste management is virtually non-existent in K R Market and the APMC wholesale market in Kalasipalyam. The vegetable waste is thrown carelessly on the roads by the merchants and the vegetables are crushed under the wheels of the moving vehicles. This results in an unbearable stench.
Farmers who come to sell their produce in the market are completely at the mercy of the coolies and are forced to pay the money demanded by them to load or unload the vegetables.
There is no security whatsoever for farmers who come to sell their produce in the APMC market and the police outpost there is unmanned most of the time.
There are no proper drainage facilities in K R Market and the APMC Market.
There are no proper bus shelters in the Kalasipalyam bus stop and the passengers have to brave the sun and rain, while waiting for the buses.
The narrow lanes causes frequent traffic jams in Kalasipalyam, Nagartharpet, Ganigarpet, New Bamboo Bazaar and surrounding areas. Traffic jams are a regular phenomenon on the Hosur main road that touches Lalbagh, Double Road, Wilson Garden, Dairy Circle, etc.