Although footpaths in Whitefield are better maintained in comparison to other parts of the city, encroachment by vendors and dumping of construction debris continue to cause inconvenience to pedestrians. Unfortunately, several footpaths have been constructed in line with old temples, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road.
“There isn’t any space to walk on the footpath near Hope Farm junction,” said Bhargavi B, a homemaker. With the temple and flower vendors occupying the entire area, Venkata Subbaiah, a retired veterinary doctor, felt that the BBMP officials are at fault. “The temple located on this stretch was constructed many years ago. It is utter foolishness to construct a footpath in line with it,” he said.
With a temple on one side and massive piles of construction debris on the other, bus commuters are left with no choice but to wait on the road. This in turn holds up traffic, causing a lot of confusion in the busy intersection. “It is extremely chaotic near this junction, especially during peak hours,” said Jaya Lakshmi, a student. “I have missed my bus several times thanks to the disorderliness,” she added.
When these issues were brought to the notice of corporator Shivalinge Gowda, Whitefield, he said “It is not possible to remove the temple as it is very old. Once the construction of buildings in the area are finished, people will face lesser problems.”