The residents of Jakkasandra ward 173, including residents of Sector 5 and Sector 6, can expect their streets to be better lit in the coming days. On Saturday, MLA Ramalinga Reddy and corporator Saraswathamma attended a pooja programme to provide 65 LED lights for the entire ward. And these also include automatic sensor switches that will automatically turn on during sundown, saving precious electricity.
Many might not know this but the Jakkasandra ward includes areas of Sector 6 (the area behind the Silk Board bus stand right up to Teacher’s Colony) and Sector 5 (the area between Teacher’s Colony and 14th Main Road near Greenview Hospital).
“Our area got about four automatic sensors,” says Mohan Govindiah, secretary, Namma Teacher’s Colony Residents Welfare Association. “The LED street light fittings and control switches in Jakkasandra Ward are being given under the MLA Special Grants scheme, and are worth Rs 25 lakh.” The pooja was held at 10am on September 29 at the BBMP Park in Sector 5, near Arogya Ahaara restaurant.
After the news broke that the neighbouring BTM Layout constituency MLA has given control switches to Ward 173 that automatically switch off the streetlights at dusk, the residents of HSR Layout are demanding similar facility in Ward 174.
For a long time now, the residents have been manually operating the lights. Sometimes, the lights stay on all day if the resident in charge of doing it is out of town. Many residents have suggested in the past that automatic sensors would be a great way to save electricity. When they read about our report that Ramalinga Reddy had used his MLA funds and spent Rs 25 lakh to install LED lights and control switches, the residents are asking MLA Satish Reddy and corporator Gurumurthy Reddy to do the same. When we asked BESCOM officials (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company) about it, they said that their job is to only supply electricity while the BBMP has to provide the control switches.
“We will decide about the control switches after our BBMP Council meeting on October 10,” corporator Gurumurthy Reddy told Residents Watch. “With the mayor just getting elected, there are a lot of development works to be done for HSR Layout. No matter how much we ask, they will only give Rs 3 crore.”
However, the corporator said that he will request for more money because it is required for laying nearly 3000 culverts in HSR ward, changing the sanitary lines, developing the parks and fixing the street upkeep issue. “The sweeping is spotty at best in HSR,” he told Residents Watch. “Under the previous Congress government, the system of payment to garbage contractors was changed. Now BBMP is paying the sweepers (pourakarmikas) and labourers themselves.”
We spoke to HSR garbage contractor Roopesh Reddy, and he admitted to the dismal scenario. “Under the new scheme of the previous government, the labourers who were aged over 60 years or had only one year experience were removed but no new people were hired to replace them,” he told Residents Watch. “There is a labour shortage of almost 50%. The result is that while the door to door garbage collection is going on like before, the sweeping is not being done properly.”
That is not all. The BBMP still owes the garbage contractors money. According to Roopesh, the corporation still has to pay him for the last four months (June to September). “We are hopeful, lets see what happens,” he said.
Within 24 hours of writing about the sad state of the service road under the flyover that was neglected for over two years, the BBMP has fixed the road with a fresh coat of tar.
They have not just filled the pothole, but the entire portion of the problematic stretch to ensure that water does not stagnate. We thank the BBMP for keeping their word with Residents Watch and coming good on their promise.
Once the state government grants the money for the road development works for the city, we could see the entire stretch from Silk Board to Iblur being relaid. But until then, this is a good stop-gap arrangement.
This stretch of the road next to the flyover near BDA Complex in HSR Layout is treacherous. No matter how much you fill it up, the potholes are formed yet again due to stagnant rainwater caused by bad planning of the BDA. When the water isn’t getting drained into the nearby stormwater drains, potholes are always likely. And many vehicle users have had harrowing experiences out here, particularly when it rains and they have no clue that there are potholes underneath the water waiting to surprise them.
The stretch of the road under the flyover near BDA Complex in HSR Layout
Despite bringing this sorry state to the attention of the Major Roads department of the BBMP, nothing has been done to fix the waterlogging issue on this thoroughfare. This is particularly dangerous as it’s a major portion of the Outer Ring Road and any mishap will make the BBMP officials directly responsible for it.
Says resident Kavitha Reddy, “It’s been in a bad shape for many years. The key problem is that there is no gradient and when it rains the water, it stagnates upto 2ft, and the road develops killer potholes. All that the BBMP has to do is give a gradient while aspalting the road, so that the rain water reaches the Agara Lake through the stormwater drain.”
Senior BBMP officials informed Residents Watch that the proposal to fix all the major roads in Bangalore have been given to the state government In March 2018, and are awaiting approval. More than Rs 5 crore has been requested for the stretch between Silk Board and Agara flyover.
According to them, the stretch was handed over to the BBMP by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 2016, but besides cleaning, they admit that no development work has taken place here under the BBMP regime. “Once the government grants the money for the major roads, all the service roads and flyover roads would be fixed,” the official said. What about the immediate step of fixing the potholes? “This September 14th, a tender has already been granted to fix the roads in Bommanahalli and this road will also be taken up,” he said.
Ramesh Dev, Assistant engineer, BBMP (Major Roads) told Residents Watch that last night, the BBMP fixed the underpass stretch of Agara flyover from the temple end, and tonight, they will fix the BDA flyover service road as well. “We will maintain the slope, so the water does not stagnate,” he said.
The Agara Lake jogging track is being used by the walkers and joggers again. However, cyclists are not allowed yet. For those tuning in just now, a portion of the muddy pathway had collapsed due to a leakage in the BWSSB pipeline that runs underneath the track. This was because of the tumultuous rains a few days ago.
“The Agara Lake track is fixed and people are using it,” says Kavitha Reddy of the Agara Lake Protection & Management Society. “On the first two days, the sewage water was pumped out from the leakage, and later it was filled with mud and gravel. Due to continuous rains, this part of the track is slushy, but once it dries up, it will be evened out, and the tiles on the cycle track will be put back. Currently, the cycles are not allowed as many cyclists will cycle on the mud track and spoil it further. But in a few days, it will be restored back to normalcy!
On September 18, 2018, at around 11.20pm, two people on a bike robbed petrol bunk owner Satyanarayana on 24th Main, 15th B Cross, Sector 1. According to HSR police, the robbers pushed him away, and snatched his bag from the car containing Rs 5.71 lakh in cash and other important documents. Within a week after the case was filed at the HSR police station, inspector DR Nagaraj’s team has impressed everyone with their swift action by apprehending the alleged robbers.
The finger of suspicion rested on the petrol bunk owner’s 32-year-old driver P Dinesh, a native of Mysore. When the cops interrogated him, the truth was out and he admitted to the crime, according to the cops. Dinesh has allegedly said that he brought his accomplices KC Sachin (26 years) and Shreyas (22 years) from Mysore to commit the robbery. The cops have seized Rs 3.1 lakh cash, three mobile phones, one watch and one Bajaj Pulsar bike (KA55-X7888).
The cops involved in this investigation who need to be lauded for their good work include Sub Inspectors Paul Priyakumar and GK Ravi; Assistant Sub Inspector Shivanna, and Head Constables Nagabhushan Gowda, Mallappa Valaki, and constables Umesh, Lakshman Pawar, Bojhraj and Shivanand. We congratulate all the cops for acting swiftly on the case.
MLA Satish Reddy who governs the Bommanahalli constituency, which includes HSR Layout, has hit the news headlines today for his undignified act during the Mayoral elections in the BBMP Council.
In the video, the MLAs and corporators are seen pushing and shoving each other despite being told by the speaker of the BBMP Council to stay put in their seat. Reminds us of the chair-throwing scene in the parliament many moons ago, Thankfully, it didn’t get to that level here.
In the video, we can also see HSR Layout resident and MLC VS Ugrappa answering to a letter submitted by BBMP council’s leader of opposition Padmanabha Reddy. The opposition leader objected to the votes of four Congress members, for which Ugrappa stood up to say that he is in the voter list, and has voted in the last three mayoral elections.
Coviam, an IT company based out of 11th cross, 24th Main, Sector 1, suffered damages worth over Rs 50,000 due to a short circuit.
A month ago, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) installed a High Tension (HT) line from 24th Main near Maha Bazaar right up to 22nd Main where a new marriage hall is coming up. This HT line touches many trees on 11th Cross Road where this IT firm is located. Every time it rains, there are sparks and small fires in the trees. Last week, Coviam suffered a loss of rupees 50,000 caused by short circuit that originated at this High Tension wire next to their building.
According to company sources, on September 26, at around 4pm, there was a bigger short circuit and a small fire broke out. This High Tension wire is a fire hazard and a hazard to life and limb of the residents. Coviam has already filed a written complaint to BESCOM AE S11 substation and requested the following to be done immediately:
1. Urgent trimming of trees on 11th Cross Road.
2. Checking if the High Tension Wire is damaged.
Residents moving around this area are advised to be cautious until this issue is resolved.
A week ago, we had written about the sorry state at the entrance of the Swabhimaana Tree Park in Sector 3. Action is yet to be taken on it. If this is allowed to go on, the stagnating water will create potholes, which is a massive dent on the excheque and a waste of public money. Did you know that Rs 3 crore is spent on relaying a kilometre of road?
“It’s a water pond near the main gate of the park,” says resident SB Kittur. “Whenever there is even half-an-hour of rain, the water collects on the road. The BBMP should act immediately by arranging the removal of the rain water and find a permanent solution.”
One solution is to place a big pipe that connects the road and the stormwater drain. “The corporator and MLA should force the BBMP to find a permanent solution,” he says.
Since yesterday, the stink from the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) has become stronger, and is being felt in parts of HSR Layout, Sarjapur Road, Singasandra, Mangammanapalya, Kudlu, Harlur and Bandepalya. Adding to the stink are the rains and the wind direction.
A few days ago, MLA Satish Reddy had stated on social media that the waste was being removed to eventually shut down the KCDC unit soon. The residents of Somasundrapalya who live closest to the polluting composting plant, however, feel that the tonnage might have gone up in the last week. However, KCDC officials deny the allegation.
“The fact that the RDF (refuse derived fuel) is being removed, and it’s raining continuously definitely gives out the smell which we cannot avoid as waste mixed with water does make the smell intolerable,” said one official. “However, the smell is also from the stormwater drains as they are also carrying sewage in many areas, so it may not just be the KCDC responsible for it.”
The KCDC officials also contend that they are sending back mixed waste, almost every other day, and following the protocol strictly. Reacting to the MLA’s statement that the plant will be shutdown soon, the officials said that the matter is in court, and only the court can take such a decision.
If all goes well, the Somasundrapalya Lake near Sector 2 will be rejuvenated and open to public by November, according to BBMP sources.
The latest scene at Somasundrapalya Lake
The electric poles near the lake will be shifted to ensure that there are no live wires near the waterbody. There will be a 13-feet road for the residents surrounding the lake to travel through. The lake will be barricaded from this pathway to ensure that the waterbody’s jurisdiction is maintained. In addition, the temples that have come up in the lake premises will be demolished.
Speaking to Residents Watch, Jagannath Rao, the Deputy Conservator of forests, Lakes, BBMP, said: “We will mercilessly demolish all the encroachments in the lake premises just like we have done in the waterbodies of Sownkere, Deverabeesanahalli, Kempambudhi and Ambalipura earlier. We will also ensure that the people living nearby will not be inconvenienced and provide a pathway, so they can move around the waterbody without disturbing the lake visitors. We will be shifting all the utilities like electric poles that could be an obstacle in the lake area to ensure that nothing goes inside the lake.”
Regarding the 10-year-old encroachment of Ayyappaswamy temple that is right next to the major stormwater drain, the BBMP has written to the tahsildar as it’s an issue to be taken up at the level of the Deputy Commissioner. “We will definitely demolish it and ensure that the lake boundary is for the lake only. If need be, we will build a gym or a yoga platform, but definitely not allow a public workship place,” said Rao. “In Kempambudhi lake, our own BBMP staffer has encroached the lake bed area, but we will throw him out too and turn that house into a toilet and a reading room for senior citizens.”
RAINS DELAYED THE WORKS BY TWO MONTHS
The rains have delayed the works as the desilted material takes a long time to dry. “The oily content doesn’t dry quickly, and we cannot load this wet material on to the vehicles. That has been our major constraint,” said Rao. “In addition, there are many other pollutants that cannot be left in the lakebed. We have to remove them all. The leachette (from the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation) has spoiled the mud underneath. It has turned into solid blocks of red, yellow and grey. We have to keep removing this soil until we get good earth.”
According to the BBMP, the soil is being removed layer by layer and the machines are working round the clock. All the rainwater is being diverted to the Outer Ring Road stormwater drain through 24th Main. “We have made two drains; one is a box drain and another is a piped drain,” says Rao. “All the sewage and excess water is going to Agara Lake side of the drain. By November, we will rejuvenate and fill the lake with rainwater and open it for the public.”
Vandana Pandey, a new resident of HSR Layout, quit her cushy job as a software engineer a year ago, went on a cycling trip across Rajasthan and Gujarat for several months, and moved in to HSR Layout to start an online grocery store with a difference. Her ‘Suunya’ outlet delivers groceries which are plastic and chemical-free.
Born in a farming family where she lived a zero-waste lifestyle in her small village in UP, she finally found a job that stays connected with nature. Soon, she plans to set up a warehouse where customers can visit and fill up their cloth bags and steel containers with nature-friendly goods.
You can place your order through Whatsapp and your paper and plastic-free goods will be delivered to your doorstep. “It’s a self-funded initiative on a small scale, started inside one room in my friend’s house,” she says. “Our focus is not so much on recycling but using resources wisely, because recycled products will eventually lead to a landfill,” says Vandana.
In the first phase, she is providing non-perishable food Items, and will soon venture into home and personal care, fresh fruits, and vegetables, with perishable items to be the last on her list.
Vandana is working with small and medium scale farmers of Karnataka who practice natural farming and don’t add synthetic chemicals, pesticides or fertilisers. “I believe food miles is part of sustainable living, and I want to promote local produce as much possible,” she says.
Why not call it an organic store? “When our air and soil is not organic and polluted, how can the produce be organic? There will be traces of chemicals,” she says. “All we can ensure is there are no external chemicals and pesticides.”
If you are not sure of any so-called food is organic, Vandana has a simple tip. “Your body is smarter than your smartphone. Just connect with it, and it will tell you without any reports and certifications.”
Vandana wants each resident to ‘rethink, refill, reconnect’, and would like Suunya to aid the conversation on the waste we are creating. “Let us all together change the shopping environment and make conscious consumption, the new normal,” she signs off.
THE DELIVERY MODES
1. The minimum amount for home delivery: Rs 1000
2. Delivery Charges:
Picking up from my place in your own container: 5% discount
< 2km: Rs 50
2-5km: Rs 100
>5 to 12 KM: Only if there are 10+ order from the community with delivery at cost.
You can place your order through Whatsapp or call Vandana at 93802-90981.
