BENGALURU: Domlur second stage has seen a lot of developmental work that aims at making the area more people-friendly. From roads to a hospital to parks to improved garbage segregation activities and women's toilets - many such constructions have sprung up in the area in the last few years.
A road on the first crossroad, that was once infamously known as 'garbage street', has today been converted to Ajja Ajji Road and is exclusively built as a senior-citizens-only walkers bay. Close to that, the Shankarnath Park is also reserved exclusively for women. A government hospital has also been constructed, a Primary Health Centre that provides free primary treatment for the poor. Waste management has also been looked at seriously. There is systematic waste segregation and dustbins are vastly distributed.
There is also intricate leaf composting that is done with the help of a leaf plant in Domlur. The waste plant unit processes the waste of Sharadamma Layout, Amarjyoti Layout and Domlur. Apart from these, if you walk down Domlur second stage, you will notice that the roads are newly made, improving the overall look of the area.
Popularly known as the 'people's corporator', CR Lakshminarayan is proud of the fact that he has been able to make the people of Domlur happy with the work he has done in ward number 112. He is also the chairman of BBMP Establishment and Administrative Reforms Standing Committee. Having served Domlur for the past three years, the corporator boasts of having uplifted the infrastructural development in the area. "Every morning I take regular rounds, I don't take any holidays and work hard for the people," says Lakshminarayan.
The residents of Domlur are all praises for the corporator. Retired Col DK Havanoor, says, "He’s done tremendous work for Domlur - it’s transformed completely. If he’s given a chance, he can truly change the face of the entire city."
"I’ve been staying in Domlur since 1981, and Gundan (Lakshminarayan) is a corporator who believes in work. Since the time I shifted here, I’ve not seen a corporator like this - he is someone who takes opinions from the people and works for them," says Lawrence D’souza, vice president of Domlur Welfare Association.
Another resident of the area, Biak Sang, who recently moved to Domlur, says, "The roads have been developed and done very well. The corporator has done a lot of good work for Domlur. The only issue we face is the mosquito problem, a lot of people are vulnerable to diseases because of it. There needs to be a solution to this menace too."
Gaushala remains messy affair
Even though Domlur seems to be transforming for the better with new infrastructural developments, there is a little dirt that lurks around one of the projects that were undertaken. The gaushala that has been built just below the Domlur flyover, is surrounded by garbage that is dumped by the BBMP. Comprising of 13 cowsheds, this gaushala shelters around 150 cows. Even though the insides are being maintained by the respective owners, the outside garbage is a menace to the cows and owners. Some of the cows also end up cosuming the garbage outside.
On asking the Lakshminarayan about waste dumping, he says, "We are going to make it concretised and the garbage will be removed. The entire area was a garbage dump earlier, we are working towards clearing it completely, the grant is ready. But because of election duty, we could not work. We have surplus funds and will do it after the elections."
Krishna, owner of a shed, says, “The dump outside is done by BBMP, we try our best to keep our cows away. We do whatever we can in our capacity to maintain the shed and feed the cows, we get no help.”