BENGALURU: Residents of Jigani’s Bande Nallasandra are crying for help as extensive road digging has made commuting a harrowing experience.
They said the roads were dug up for laying underground sewage lines but after the work, the roads were not tarred, with mud and slush plopping all over the place.
“The digging started in April. During May first week they started digging inside our gated community and till date the roads are in the same condition,” said Alben Sigamani, president, Celebrity Golden Treasure Owners Welfare Association (CGTOWA).
The situation worsens when it rains, turning the residential area to a swamp, the residents said.
“The pits have been dug up to 7 to 8 feet and they have just covered it with mud. It is the worst time for such a project. When it rains mud gets soft making walking difficult. In some areas mud even goes down to 2 feet and we are scared to send our kids out alone,” said Prakash Dubey, a resident.
“It now looks like a ghost town. We don’t feel clean and safe here anymore,” added Prakash.
“I don’t send my daughter outside to play or exercise now as I am scared that something might happen to her,” said a concerned mother.
Mathangi Mahendran, another resident, said the situation poses risks for the elderly as well as the children.
“The schools are about to reopen very soon, and if it goes like this the lives of children will be at risk. Minimum seven to eight school buses come here, as there are so many children in this locality. But now in this condition people can barely walk and there is no chance for vehicles to move easily,” she said. “There are so many old citizens living here that if any emergency happens we can’t take them to hospital quickly,” she added.
“There’s a hospital nearby, and several doctors live in our complex. But with the roads in such terrible condition, a patient might end up dying in the road,” said Alben, a resident.
“We’ve reached out to the authorities multiple times. The local councillor directs us to the MLA, and when we approach the MLA’s office, they send us right back to the councillor and now we don’t know whom to approach,” he added.
When TNIE contacted, the project contractor said the work could not be completed due to heavy pre-monsoon rains.
“Due to rain, the soil gets bumpy and we can’t pour the wet mix. Our labourers go and check every day but they are unable to work,” he said. “We are waiting for consecutive days without the rain so that the soil will be fine to complete the work,” he said.