It has become a breeding place for mosquitoes
Incomplete drainage construction from Kumbalgodu to Anchepalya towards Kengeri has created problems for pedestrians and shop owners on this stretch. The work was started a year ago.
The drains are not closed properly, exposing people walking on the stretch to the danger of tripping and falling.
The road has shops, hotels and an orphanage.
Uma, who owns a shop on the stretch, informed The Observer she is fed up of telling the workers to close the drain in front of her shop. “I am done complaining. I have temporarily levelled the dug-up space in front of my shop with mud. My son had a small bone fracture when he fell while playing near the shop… because of this drain. It stinks very badly. Mosquitoes are another big concern. We are scared of falling ill.”
Dilip Buildcon, the contractor for the widening of National Highway 275 (Bengaluru to Mysuru) is also responsible for the construction of drainage.
A member of the Dilip Buildcon team who did not want to be named said: “It is not a big deal for us to complete 10 per cent of the work when we have done 90 per cent. We often don’t get good support from the public. There are some issues with land over there. Also, there are water pipelines and electric wires which we should keep in mind, so in order to work on the same, we have left some space in between. We have started working on it again…. Within two more months, we should be able to complete the drain work.”
Dakshayani, who runs a bakery on the road, shared: “The drain work is going on for the past 7-8 months. It has not been completed properly. The drain runs right in front of my bakery. It is half closed near my shop. Customers find it difficult to come to my shop. There are a lot of mosquitoes as waste on the road gets accumulated near the unclosed drain.”
A security person at Basavagangothri Ashram said: “Recent rains have created havoc near our ashram. Rainwater has remained stagnant. It stinks too. It is hard to cross the open drain and walk inside the ashram. We want our surroundings to be neat and clean.”
A pedestrian who refused to be named said: “Any person who is new to this road will surely trip and fall, as I did. The contractor who started the construction should have completed the work then moved further. The work is improper and incomplete. Construction material is left on the drain, and there is debris on the road. I hope the work gets over as early as possible. The road looks very dirty.”
hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org
