Bengaluru residents unhappy with progress of Namma Metro pillar beautification

Metro officials say corporates are now hesitating to maintain pillars and medians citing high cost.

Bengaluru

With waste and garbage strewn around them and posters plastered on their facade, the concrete pillars that support the Namma Metro lines often mirrors the city’s civic apathy. Except for the recently inaugurated metro line and the M.G. Road route, the city's metro pillars largely lack aesthetic appeal.

While various NGOs and private establishments, driven by corporate social responsibility, have actively participated in enhancing the aesthetics of metro pillars, residents of Bengaluru have expressed dissatisfaction with BMRCL for their perceived lack of efforts in beautification.

Mohan Kumar, a resident of Rajajinagar, said, “Most of the metro pillars along the Green Line appear unsightly due to numerous posters affixed by the public. BMRCL must address this issue by taking action against those responsible for the posters. Pillars near Yeshwantpur, Dasarahalli and 8th mile are the worst. Beautifying the pillars would discourage people from defacing them with such posters.”

Residents are also raising concerns about the deteriorating state of the greenery in the median, which are marred by garbage. Negligence in maintaining these gardens is evident, drawing attention to the pressing need for remedial action, they said.

Geetha Naik, a resident of Jayanagar, said, “The garden on the median beneath the metro pillars is in a deplorable state, with the authorities failing to maintain it adequately. The median garden is littered with garbage, plastic, and waste materials. Moreover, the neglect in watering the garden has led to the demise of numerous plants.”

Since the inception of the metro in the city, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has collaborated with corporate entities to enhance the aesthetics of the medians and pillars. Alongside the construction of elevated metro structures, decorative plants have been planted along road medians. Corporates have been taking orders, not only to beautify these spaces, but also to utilise them for advertising, having rented the space from BMRCL. This initiative encompasses maintaining medians, painting pillars, and embellishing viaducts.