MAROONED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY

MAROONED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY
People living near JP Nagar Sixth Phase are facing a myriad of problems with the work on Puttenahalli underpass moving at snail’s pace
MANASI PARESH KUMAR


When you walk into H N Ramesh’s house at JP Nagar 6th phase, you’ll either mistake him to be a very rich man or his house to be a parking lot! At any point of time his drive way will have at least five sedans parked. But wait...Ramesh is only helping out his neighbours, as access to their compounds has been cut off by the ongoing construction work of the underpass at the Puttenahalli Junction.
Once a preferred residential area for the affluent families, the locality has turned into a nightmare of slush and impending danger. This JNNURM project began in May 2008 and was to be completed in February, 2009. But the Rs 23-crore project has already exceeded its deadline by four months and only 42 per cent of the project has been completed. The 100-feet ring road is the major connecting road between Bannerghatta and Outer Ring Road and this underpass is expected to reduce traffic congestion in roads connecting JP Nagar, Sarakki and Bannerghatta Road.
FAMILIES VACATE AREA
But the delay has made life difficult for the people living at the stretch. Ramesh said, “My neighbours can’t get their cars into their premises because the road has been dug up till their compound walls. About six or eight families have vacated their homes after accessibility to the houses was totally cut off.”
But that is only the tip of the iceberg. The 20 odd homes along the construction site have been facing a barrage of civic problems including drinking water crisis, electricity shortage and disrupted telephone lines. “We pay our taxes regularly to the BBMP and we don’t even have a road to get into our homes. Why should we give any money to the Corporation?” asks 70-year-old Narasingh Rao.
Rao, a retired Executive Engineer with the CPWD department, had a stroke a year ago and needs a walker to navigate even the flattest of surfaces. So moving through the dug up area leading to his gate is a nightmare. He said, “I have been an engineer with the government and know how these projects work. If you have just 20 people working where you need at least a hundred, when do you think it will be completed? I don’t think this project will be finished for the next three or four years at the current pace.”
NO WATER SUPPLY
Manjunath C, a chartered accountant, has had no Cauvery water supply to his residence for the last six months. He has complained to every official in the BBMP who visits the site for inspection and all he gets are promises. “I carry water from my neighbours’ homes when we run out of canned water. Even my LPG dealer refuses to deliver the cylinder at home.”
But the worst hit are the students. Amitash R, an 18-year-old boy who passed out of second PU this year from Sri Kumaran’s College just 3 km away, said daily he had to leave an hour and a half early. “I had to take a detour through Banashankari, which is another 3 kms, to get to college. I also had tuitions, so a good night’s sleep has been a luxury last year,” he said.
It is a harrowing experience for the parents as well. Manjunath who has an 8-year-old daughter has to return from work around 4.30 in the evening to take her home safely through the dug up area. “My wife and I both work, so one of us has to take time off to get the children home safely. We have seen many people fall into the pits so often. The rains are only making the matters worse. How can we expect small children to make their way?” he asks.
BBMP WARNING
BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena, who recently visited the spot, has issued a warning to the officials and asked them to speed up the project. The official reason for the delay is that the main Cauvery pipe line that goes through right in the middle of the project. Though the EPIL has paid Rs 44 lakh (just a month ago) as deposit for shifting of the pipe, it has not been done yet.
The EPIL officials at the site refused to comment on the delay in the project. Deputy general manager S Manoharan said he could not give an official reason for the delay and refused to meet Bangalore Mirror. Project manager M P Jadav, too, did the same.
BLAME ON RAINS!
But, other officials from EPIL say that this project has been delayed the most. “Yes we have had problems with the water pipe not being shifted and the slush created by the pouring rain is causing problems in placing the concrete boxes. But those problems cannot extend the deadline by a year. Though we have asked for an extension of another 4 months, it is unlikely that the work will finish in another six months,” said an engineer who wished to remain anonymous.
Chief engineer of the project A K Gopalaswamy said the project will be completed latest by October. “They have been given an extension and we should be out of the place by October at most,” he said.
The residents of this road just hope that it will not be a stretch beyond that, but
they know
better.


WE TRAVEL FROM ELECTRONICS CITY AND THE BUS DRIVERS ARE HESITANT TO DROP US OFF AT THE RV DENTAL COLLEGE. FORGET THE COMPANY BUSES, EVEN THE BMTC ONES VERY RARELY COME THIS WAY. WE DON’T HAVEAWAY TO COME HOME
— Chandana Herur, IT professional



THE WORKERS AT THE SITE HAVE BROKEN THE CAUVERY PIPES TO TAKE DRINKING WATER. THIS IS MAKING THE SEWAGE WATER CONTAMINATE THE DRINKING WATER. WITH THE MONSOONS IN PLACE, THIS WILL CAUSE A HEALTH DISASTER. WATER-BORNE DISEASES WILL BECOME SUCH A PROBLEM
— Ramesh H N, Industrialist



I NEED ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO CYCLE TO MY SCHOOL THAT IS JUST HALF A KILOMETRE AWAY. MANY TIMES MY CYCLE HAS SKIDDED AND I HAVE FALLEN INTO THE PIT. THANKFULLY, I HAVE NOT BEEN HURT BADLY
— Surya S, Student, AV School



THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHEN THE LABOURERS AND CONTRACTORS HAVE THREATENED US WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES IF WE CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. WE RECENTLY HAD TO FILE A POLICE COMPLAINT WHEN ONE OF THEM ENTERED THE HOUSE AND ROUGHED UP ONE OF OUR DRIVERS. THE OFFICIALS TURN A DEAF EAR TO ALL THIS.
— Manjunath C,
Chartered Accountant