They destroy the beauty of the place, say pedestrians
By Tina Freese
Loose hanging wires on the Infantry Road footpath are troubling pedestrians. They are demanding swift action from authorities.
Rakesh Menon, 35, informed The Observer: “These wires have been here forever now. It is a nuisance to walk on this footpath. Firstly, it is broken and then these loose wires are another issue.”
Wires in certain patches of the road are hanging low, prompting many pedestrians to avoid the route or bend to dodge them. “I am just 5’2, but still the wires touch my head; they are so low. Why are they even here in the first place? This road is pleasant-looking, but these wires ruin the beauty, besides being a problem for us pedestrians,” said Sumitra Nanda, a pedestrian.
Another citizen, Ritika, who walks on the footpath every evening to go to her class, shared: “I have tripped on these wires before. They are disgusting and ugly…. Why are they even here? I have seen people struggling to walk here. It is like the roads are for vehicles and the footpaths for wires. Where should I go?”
Dinesh K, who owns a shop near the road, sees pedestrians struggling every day. “People keep dodging the wires…. Some take a detour to avoid the wires, especially in one patch where the wires are quite low.”
Amar Pal, a security guard at a restaurant opposite the road, concurs: “I have worked here for a long time and… seen these wires. Look how people keep tripping on them. There is always a young man or girl… not watching the path. They usually get stuck in the wires and fall. I don’t understand why they are here.”
BBMP public relations officer Sri Suresh L, informed The Observer: “The residents of the area need to file a complaint. They have to come in touch with the ward’s chief engineer to get them removed. The corporation is a little overburdened these days, so it is difficult, but if we get complaints we try to act as soon as possible.”
The problem is not specific to the 1.6-km Infantry Road; residents of many areas of the city have complained of the same for a long time.
In February 2021, the Karnataka High Court ordered strict action against cable operators who had left cables hanging.
Many accidents have taken place due to cables and wires left hanging or lying on the road. According to a News Minute report, an autorickshaw got tangled in a wire lying on a road and crashed into a woman. The Times of India reported the same problem on Malleswaram and Seshadripuram.
In 2018, The Observer reported a similar problem on Magrath Road.
tina.f@iijnm.org
