Large open drains on the Mysuru Road and the residents complain of stink and flies; the local Panchayat takes no action towards it.
Bengaluru, 3rd September 2019.
Open drains in front of the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI), Mysuru Road have become waste dumps. The stinking drains have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Garbage dumped in the drain clogs it and creates a stink, forcing passersby to cover their noses. Rain has made the situation worse. Dirty water from the clogged drains has flooded the road, affecting the business of restaurants and food stalls in the vicinity.
A resident of the area said that ever since the time the drains were built, they have been kept open. Earlier, the problem was not so severe because the drains were not clogged. “We have complained to the BBMP and the local panchayat, but they take zero initiative. We are forced to clear the garbage ourselves sometimes,” Niranjan, a local resident, informed The Observer.
Manjay Ray, a local shopkeeper, said: “The drains have been kept open like this…. I have been here for five months and seen no improvement.”
The Kumbalgodu gram panchayat, which has jurisdiction over the area, says it does not get enough support from the government for the upkeep of civic infrastructure.
Panchayat secretary Manju told The Observer: “We have a lot of projects in hand; open drainage is one of them. We do not get enough funds. As a result, we cannot use solve problems fast. In spite of this, we have started cleaning drains and garbage in many places. Next year we plan to cover up and clean open drains in many places, including the ones near FPI.”
Open drains are not the only problem. Work on the Namma Metro is under way, making it tough for pedestrians to walk on the road.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1964, states that the authority concerned is required to “to remove any existing drain or other appliance or thing used or intended to be used for drainage which is injurious to health; to provide a closed drain in substitution of an open drain… to carry out any work to improve or re-model an existing drain which is inadequate, insufficient or faulty; to construct a closed cesspool or soakage pit and drain or drains emptying into such cesspool or soakage pit.”
Ramesh V, head of the civil engineering department, Rajarajeshwari College of Engineering, said: “The problem here is not only about the open drains, but about the entire drainage system.” Since the drains are open, garbage can be taken out. Closing the drains would lead to contamination of groundwater, Ramesh added.
