Here peace is missing, so are a few basics

Here peace is missing, so are a few basics

Women of CV Raman Nagar want residential areas to remain a tranquil zone

Shwetha S



The constituency is neither a defence enclave nor purely a civilian one. Thus being in the twilight zone makes CV Raman Nagar asking for more. It houses reputed institutions like the defence ministry's DRDO, LRDE, ADE and several software firms.
The constituency has been carved out of Bharatinagar with Konena Agrahara, Jeevan Bhima Nagar, Benniganahalli, Hoysala Nagar, CV Raman Nagar, New Tippasandara, and Sarvagna Nagar wards. The physical area is huge and demographically, it is more of the cosmopolitan shade.
The constituency is a mix of old residential pockets and business hubs with two major roads cutting through it. What defines CV Raman Nagar is one magic word: safety. The defence organisation gives a veneer of psychological safety which comes out clearly when one talks with the residents. Women feel secure and residents say there is less number of petty crimes in the area.
Areas like Indiranagar, Jeevan Bima Nagar and Defence Colony have for long been chosen as ideal residential locations in the city. But the residents are still upset due to the commercialisation of the area which is affecting its serenity.
"Every residential area is getting commercialised. This trend is taking away the tranquillity of our area. Day in and day out, it's noisy as drivers keep honking without any consideration for the residents. We've troubled sleep," says Dr Smitha Jain, a dentist.
Residents are angry at reckless cab drivers. They are putting the lives of residents, including school-going children of the area, at grave risk. Every pedestrian now watches his or her step. For them, crossing the roads has become a cruel punishment for no fault of theirs.
Nalani Dwarakanath, a resident, says cabs heading towards IT firms take a short-cut through residential areas. "Most of the time, people have met with accidents due to their over-speeding. We're scared to leave our children to play outside because of this reason", says Nalani.
HAL Airport Road, one of the major traffic discharge roads of the city, has over the years emerged as a business hub as well. The migrants going towards Marathahalli and Sarjapur Road area use this road. Residential areas like Jeevan Bima Nagar, which are located off the busy Airport Road, have to face constant bombardment of noise and air pollution. This is affecting the children more than the adults.
Veena Kumar, a housewife, and resident of Jeevan Bhima Nagar, says "The pavements in the area have been encroached by hawkers and shopkeepers. There is hardly any space for us to walk on the roads. Due to this, we are forced to walk on the main roads. It's become a headache for us when we go for shopping in our area."
"At least, there should be consideration for pedestrians like us who use the roads regularly. Otherwise, this will lead to more accidents in our area," adds Kumar.
Despite being called as top-notch locality of Bangalore, Indiranagar (HAL 3rd Stage which is in CV Raman Nagar constituency) has few well-maintained parks and playgrounds.
Somashekar Reddy, a civil engineer and resident of 80-feet road, says "Some of the parks in our area are not maintained properly. Despite appeals to the BBMP to clean the parks in the area, there has been no action. We end up hiring our own cleaners and pay for a service that is our right."
Some of the residents of Amar Jyothi Layout near Domlur face water scarcity. They depend on private water tankers which leave them poorer.
"It's not just during summer. The water supply at best is irregular and this is making us rely on private water tankers. We pay heavily. Though we are blessed with Cauvery water, due to the intermitted supply of water, we still have to depend on private water tankers," says Krishna Kumari, a housewife.
Street dog menace is another problem being facing the residents.
"Due to the non-cleaning of garbage in the area, there has been increase in street dogs in the locality. During evenings, dogs become ferocious and start chasing people," says Katyayini Bhat, a musician.
Residents point to a flurry of upcoming constructions that make for a crammed skyline in the area. But infrastructure woes have not turned investors in land and properties off CV Raman Nagar.