Rajajinagar’s woes on show

Rajajinagar’s woes on show
Bad Road, Broken Culverts, Blocked Drains Brought To Minister’s Notice
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Blocked drains. Roads with yawning craters. Huge piles of uncleared garbage. The civic concerns that plague pockets of Rajajinagar were in full display on Friday.
The grievances were also laced with disgruntlement over the manner in which officials have dealt with complaints, as S Suresh Kumar, minister for urban development, found out.
The minister launched four civic works in three slum pockets in Rajajinagar. The programme, though, doubled up as a mini janata darshan, with residents from the neighbourhood pouring in with complaints about abysmal civic infrastructure in the area.
At Siddarama Dinne in Rajajinagar 4th Block, residents gathered to highlight abuse of a private plot, being used to dump waste. Heaps of garbage — from hotel waste to household litter — welcomed the minister, who directed officials to ensure it was cleared by Saturday. “Many representations were made to the BBMP health inspector and other officials but there has been no positive response,’’ Giridhar, a resident, said.
Adding to residents’ woes are encroachers, who make use of the vacant plot by cooking and cleaning in the midst of the garbage. “To top it all, we have to bear with the arrogance of these encroachers and the people who dump the waste, who tell us we can go ahead and complain but nothing will come of it,’’ said Mahesh, another resident.
The encroachers, though, claimed they were using the plot because they had no place to go. Before visiting the plot, Suresh Kumar inaugurated work on a drain and culverts in the locality.
BLOCKED DRAINS
As the minister’s party moved on to other areas of the old ward No. 22, residents came out with more grievances on road infrastructure. On 46th A Cross, 3rd Block, craters and the risks of driving during night were highlighted. The minister said temporary road work would be initiated as an immediate measure.
The minister also enquired with officials on why sand and litter block shoulder drains on 10th Main Road and other parts. He directed them to conduct regular checks to address the problem. Residents also reported water contamination in some parts.
On 60th Cross, 5th Block, residents pointed out that a broken culvert was indicative of official apathy. The culvert, they said, has been left unrepaired for more than a year. At the Harijana Seva Sangha (Chamundi) slum, the minister was also briefed on issues such as waterlogging and unemployment.
RESIDENTS’ WORRIES Demand for better roads
Piled-up garbage, encroachment a concern in some areas
Blocked shoulder drains highlighted
Broken culverts, craters