It is safe and cool here

It is safe and cool here
Wide Roads, Well-Maintained Parks And Low Crime Rate Keep Residents Happy
Deepa Bhasthi | TNN

Bangalore: Bangalore used to be known as the Garden City. Today not much evidence of it remains, what with most parts of the city turning into a concrete jungle. But certain parts of
Bangalore West add relief thanks to the sprawling parks, wide roads and lovely lung space.
Take the case of HMT Layout and surrounding areas. The PSU is long gone, but the residents of the layout are almost content in the mini city. There are markets with the freshest of greens. The area abounds with large parks. Raghavan R, a resident, talked of how much of a joy it was to walk about the place. “I bring my grandchildren to the park in the evenings. They love it too. It is great that Bangalore still retains so much of greenery,” he said.
PARKS ABOUND
Most wards have several parks in residential areas that are largely well maintained. Hebbal lake, currently under rejuvenation, teems with morning walkers and joggers. Just off the Hebbal flyover, land belonging to the University of Agriculture Sciences is a welcome lung space, almost akin to the countryside with large trees and farms.
A park in Ganganagar though needs better maintenance. Allah Baksh, a little child playing in the park, points at a broken bench. What strikes the eye is a transformer that is installed in one corner of the park, posing danger to the dozens of children playing there.
Parks in places like Kumara Park area and Mariyappana Palya are also a congregating spot for senior citizens to sit and have a chat and watch their little grandchildren play in the swings and slides nearby. Mornings in most of these parks are busy times, with hundreds of walkers and joggers. Several of these also conduct yoga classes for men and women, drawing and craft classes for children during weekends and summer holidays.
INFRASTRUCTURE WORK
In some areas of Vijayanagar and Rajajinagar, Metro Rail work and other civic works have cut into the boundaries of several parks. Gangamma, a senior citizen who walks in the Mariyappanapalya Park every morning with her neighbours, said that the authorities had blocked off a part of the paved path in the park and walkers had to go across the unpaved ways.
DEFENCE ENVIRONS
Jalahalli houses vast defence land, part of the Jalahalli Air Force Station. Though most of the area is under the defence ministry and off bounds for civilians, there are also major apartment blocks coming up in the area. All well maintained. There are many wide roads and large parks, making it a delight for a drive along the area. Jalahalli also has the Ayyappan Temple. The heightened religious activity during Sabarimala pilgrimage season feeds little shops and outlets. A large section remains industrial in these parts.
MULTI-STOREY HOMES,
AGE-OLD MARKETS
Down a little south — Gandhinagar, Chikpet, Binnipet etc are largely commercial areas, with some of the oldest markets in the city, some even dating back to several decades. There are several narrow lanes with a large residential base, mostly the merchants and their families. The winding lanes have hastily constructed housing complexes, many multi-storeyed ones. Electric and cable wires that dangle loose continue to pose problems for the residents. What they want: wider roads, cleaner areas and a better living space in the closely placed lanes and localities in these parts of the city.
SCAFFOLDING POSES THREAT TO KIDS
T N Lakshman Rao, a resident of Rajajinagar 3rd block, said many roads were being dug up and footpaths upturned to lay pipes. “There is a lot of construction activity here. The scaffolding in many cases is not strong — it is dangerous when there are many kids playing on the roads,’’ he worried.
MANY HOTELS
Residents in and around Malleswaram and Rajajinagar agree that there is much to be happy about in their areas. There is the Malleswaram Club. The Malleswaram grounds which hosts several exhibitions and cricket and other matches all year round is hugely popular with residents. Malleswaram is also Bangalore West’s little cultural hub with many music schools, yoga classes and regular cultural events.
The Malleswaram market is one of the busiest markets in the city, selling everything from pooja items to branded clothes, from the freshest veggies to branded cappuchinos and espressos. Malleswaram is also the place to be for foodies. The famous CTR for the best butter masala dosas, Janatha Hotel for delicious idli-vada, Veena Stores for melt-in-the-mouth idlis and Adiga chains and other eateries make Malleswaram the place to be for authentic South Indian khana.
SAFETY RATHER HIGH
As with elsewhere in the city, crimes that tend to haunt Bangalore West. However, most residential areas are safe with close-knit houses and a low crime rate. Areas like Sadashivnagar and Kumara Park, some of the poshest areas in the city, are largely safe places with some of the best amenities and conveniences around.
THE NEXT 7 WARDS
93. Vasanthnagar: Kumara Park East, Vasanthnagar, R V Layout, Annayappa Block, Kaverappa Layout
94. Gandhinagar: Seshadripuram, Ramakrishna Layout, Nehru Nagar, V V Giri Colony, Bangalore City, Kempegowda Bus Stand, R K Puram, Gandhinagar, Upparpet
95. Subhashnagar: Jaibhimanagar Slum, Swatantranagar, PNR Nagar, Srirampuram, Vivekanadanagar, Hanumanthappa Colony, Shastrinagar, Subhash Nagar
96. Okalipuram: Ramachandrapura, Hanumanthapura, Okalipuram, Kasturinagar
97. Dayananda Nagar: Yarappa Block, Ambedkar Nagar, Venkateshwra A K Colony, Ramakrishna Seva Nagar, Dayananda Nagar
98. Prakashnagar: Prakashnagar
99. Rajajinagar: Adaranha Layout, Indiranagar, Manjunathanagar, Basaveshwaranagar, KEB quarters, Rajajinagar 2nd Block
100. Basaveshwaranagar: LIC Colony, Manjunathanagar 3rd Stage, Saneguruvanahalli, Basaveshwaranagar (P) TOMORROW: Voters’ voice