BENGALURU: It’s a problem of too much infrastructure work going on. The Bangalore Water Supply Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is laying an underground drainage (UGD) line in Pottery Town, and Bangalore Metropolitan Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is carrying out work for the underground 5.63-km stretch from Vellara Junction to Pottery Town. Which leaves the residents of Pottery Town, Benson Town, SK Garden and adjoining localities having a rocky ride along the roads.
While BMRCL started work in September, BWSSB started laying UGD lines about one-and-half months ago. In a short time, roads have become pathetic stretches. Though the road is blocked for four-wheelers, it has turned into a death trap for two-wheeler riders, who regularly lose their balance and fall. Recently, Zeenath Khan fell off her bike on an uneven stretch of the road and hurt herself. Locals rushed to help and dropped her home. “The roads are bad and BWSSB is taking its own time to lay the UGD lines. I have no clue when the roads will be fixed. In spite of riding very slowly, I had a fall and now, I won’t be able to walk for a couple of weeks,” she said.
Residents of SK Garden and Pottery Town, asked why they were taking this stretch and not an alternative route, said that this is a short cut to reach places like Fraser Town, Davis Road and Thanisandra, rather than taking a detour towards Nandidurga Road.The shorter way is to take Binny Crescent Road and connect at Bore Bank Road, which has also turned to uneven rubble with the ongoing Metro work. “Both these projects are going on at the same time, and proving to be problematic. We can’t keep taking detours all the time. The other part of the road where work is done, it not yet asphalted,” added Kiran Kumar from Williams Town.
Many potters revealed that they are facing huge losses as people no longer stop by to buy their products. They pointed out that their diyas, and pots and drums made to store water, are filled with dust, and people refrain from buying them.
“We make many products every day, and have no space to keep them. So we keep them outside our houses. But with the dust accumulating, no one wants to buy them. Even if we clean them, they don’t want them,” said Muthu K, a potter.Said another resident, “This is the time when hotels buy tandoor pots from us for the New Year and Christmas celebrations. I sell at least 30, but this year haven’t sold even 10. People don’t want to come to this dusty place.”
However, Pulikeshi Nagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy said, “The UGD lines are taking time. However, work will be done within 15 days and the stretch will be immediately asphalted. The road will be open to cars as well.”