“Everything has been dug up here. It actually looks like a war zone,” said Preethi Thakur, an MNC professional, who has been living in Ejipura for more than five years. The road going from Ejipura signal to Sony World junction has been dug up. Though the work began a while ago, pedestrians complain that they literally have to put up a fight everyday in order to ensure that their safety is not compromised.
While sand and construction debris occupy most of the footpath on this stretch, the rest of it is in shambles too. Needless to say, Bangalore’s shanty town is filled with issues. “I work in Electronic city and my bus stops just 300 metres before Oasis Mall. First of all, there is no footpath here. Moreover, everything is dug up. I just want to know by when will the authorities ensure that the footpath is usable. It is quite strange that footpaths are dug up at least thrice a year and pedestrians are left with no option but to walk on the road. This being one of the busiest roads in Bangalore, I wouldn’t advise anyone to walk on this stretch,” said Rajiv Ram, a resident of Ejipura.
With tiny stalls and tea and cigarette vendors encroaching the footpath, many wonder if BBMP is actually bothered about the situation here. To top it all, there are heaps of garbage lying unattended on the roadside. The heavy traffic does not make any of this easy for pedestrians. “When it rains, the stench makes it unbearable for us to walk on the road here. Sometimes, I am worried that a disaster is just waiting to happen,” said Arjun Hegde, an MNC professional.
Despite repeated calls corporator P M Saroja, who is in-charge of the area, she remained unavailable for comments.