BENGALURU: With law and order concerns, along with traffic congestion and chaos during the Ramzan food mela on MM Road in Fraser Town and surrounding areas, residents have raised the issue with Pulakeshinagar MLA AC Srinivas, the police, and officials of the Bengaluru North City Corporation, requesting that the food mela be stopped this Ramzan. In their petition, the residents stated that stalls encroach on footpaths leading to traffic congestion.
Following this, the MLA, police and officials have said that no footpath encroachment will be allowed in the name of the Ramzan food mela as these eateries violate rules.
The eateries were warned against extending their shops onto the footpaths during Ramzan. “Penalty will be imposed and trade licence will be cancelled. Nuisance will not be allowed in the name of food mela,” said Srinivas.
The Fraser Town Residents Welfare Associations (FTRWA) has taken up the cudgel against the proliferation of eateries on roadsides and footpaths during Ramzan leading to nuisance, noise and air pollution due to public gathering.
Khasier Ahmed G S of FTRWA said they met Bengaluru North City Corporation officials on February 16 at MLA Srinivas’s office in Fraser Town with only one demand -- no food mela during the month of Ramzan. “The mela severely impacts the safety and wellbeing of residents in a multitude of ways. We collected more than 2,500 signatures of residents last year who were strongly against the mela and are willing to do the same again this time, and in more numbers,” he said.
Residents raised health concerns, saying the mela goes unchecked with extremely unhygienic conditions leading to spread of illnesses in the area, especially gastro-intestinal issues. Many doctors have also shared similar concerns. The mela leads to garbage dumping and littering in the area. Unfortunately, the entire area is filled unsegregated garbage. They also flagged issues like drug trafficking, gambling and road rage.