Long road to development

BANGALORE: Good roads are the sign of better infrastructure and urban development. But, for the residents of Narayanaswami Layout, near Veeranapalya, development is unheard of as they have not seen asphalted roads in a very long time.These roads link Veeranapalya to the main road, where the civic agency is constructing a flyover to reduce traffic jams and minimise accidents’ but the residents do not have proper access to the main road.A number of complaints were registered with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike on the bad condition of the roads and to take  necessary steps to tar the roads, but BBMP has never responded to their pleas. “This road  becomes slushy with pools of mud during rains. our feet gets drowned on these roads,” says Swami, a resident.Adding to their miseries, this locality does not have good drinking water facilities and open drains run parallel to the roads. “The silt which BBMP dumps in mounds alongside the drain, goes right back into the drain after the rains. Sometimes the drain overflows when it gets clogged. The bore well tap installed right near the drain has its pipe running adjacent to the drain. We never know when we get a mixture of silt water along with the drinking water,” says Dakshayani, who is angered by the civic agency’s apathy and disinterest towards this locality.However, corporator Irshaad Begum says, “The work is in the process. Underground Drainage (UGD) pipes are being laid  here. Therefore the work to asphalt the road is being delayed. This would take another four to five months.” She also admits that the filth accumulated next to the drain is always never cleared by the BBMP.