Bannerghatta road is a perfect example of callous attitude of the authorities concerned, where construction material has been lying on the footpath for over a week now. Innumerable issues galore the footpaths here, especially the stretch between Jayadeva Hospital and Jal Bhavan.
When City Express spoke to resident Swarna, she said, “There are no footpaths here and whatever is there has been encroached upon. None of the slabs are in place and hence it is not advisable to walk. To top it all, the traffic density on this road makes it a nightmare to walk here.” Apart from the apathy of the authorities, the locality reminds us of the negligent attitude of the citizens as well. The footpaths have been transformed into a dumping ground and a littering spot. Many use it to attend the nature's call despite a BBMP Nirmala toilet being situated in the vicinity. Mitlash, who is an employee in this Nirmala toilet, says, “A few residents and hotels in the locality dump the waste on the footpath. Moreover, people are not willing spend a penny to use the toilet. The footpath provides them with an alternative.”
Voicing a similar opinion, autorickshaw driver Munna Bhai, who has been a resident here for many years, says, “The area has not changed in the last three to four years. The littering menace has increased after the construction of the new compound wall. There is a obnoxious smell emanating from an entire stretch right from the hospital till the public toilet.” Many tempos and mini trucks were also parked on the space meant for pedestrians. When we askedAbdul Bashir, who works in a granite shop located nearby, he said, “The trucks are parked here only during the night.” On visiting the spot at around 11 am, we found trucks still parked on the footpath. He added, “Our property includes the footpath as well. Hence, we can park our vehicles there. Till the road widening work commences, we will continue parking here.”
When we tried to reach the area corporator, he was unavailable for any comments.