Indiranagar residents, traders equally fed up as civic work affects daily commute

Bengaluru Civic works under way on both arterial roads [the 100 Feet Road and the Chinmaya Mission H

Civic works under way on both arterial roads [the 100 Feet Road and the Chinmaya Mission Hospital (CMH) Road] are causing a lot of inconvenience for commuting, as well as affecting shopkeepers in their business.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is conducting white-topping work in the area and sewerage system work is also going on. 

“The palike has started white-topping even though the stretch was in a good condition. The work is in progress for the past six months and it is causing chaos. All the roads have been left incomplete without proper siding and white-topping and it is causing a lot of traffic snarls. This being the main road, during emergency hours even ambulances cannot pass through,” said Gautham Udupa, resident of Indiranagar. 

Several residents also said that the redevelopment project is a waste of public funds. Ever since the roads were dug for white-topping and laying of the sewerage system, residents had to bear dug-up trenches, pollution, and heaps of construction material and construction vehicles by the roadside. They also allege that the BBMP is not paying enough attention to their plight as they have been forced to park their vehicles elsewhere and walk to their houses. 

Parking seems to be the common woe for both residents and traders. Julie, sales manager at a dessert shop, said: “There is no space for parking outside the shop and potential customers, seeing the dug pavements in front of shop, tend to not come. It is affecting our business.” 

S. Raghu, local MLA, promised the work will get over soon, as the major portions are already completed. “The police were not giving permission to impose traffic restrictions, So the work got delayed. As much as 70% of the work is already done, and within 10 days the laying of sewerage system will be done,” he told The Hindu.