Coming soon – encroachments at your doorstep
The footpaths in the city have become an increasing menace to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). The increase in land encroachments in the city is causing embarrassment to the BMP as it is unable to live up to the expectations of the people.
Truer words were never written. I use the 80ft Road from the Old Madras Road junction for my morning walks and since 2 months, I find these flimsy dwellings on the footpath. It would be understandable if work were being done on the road that necessitated these people to stay temporarily but there is certainly no indication of that sort. How these people stay on without a care in the world or rather without a fear of being asked to leave, I cannot fathom. On the flip side, how the concerned authorities give a blind eye to these dwellers without reclaiming the footpath, I cannot understand. Does money talk, you say? Your guess is as good as mine.
Sigh! Anyway,
BMP Commissioner K Jairaj said he will visit the area and look into the matter and take essential steps
I have half a mind to send the following pics to him and see the response from his office. Hey, perhaps I will.
Makeshift housing.
A makeshift toilet!!!
Huh?! Shocking! Esp the toilet :O
Terrible!
When they hire so many people for public construction activity spending so many crores, how tough is it to make arrangements temporary arrangements for shelter and toilets. This is a human rights violation according to me.
This is such a common sight in Mumbai that I am not shocked by the sight of it. If a similar dweller sees this in Bangalore, he would be alarmed by the cleanliness of the place! Jokes apart… this is a really bad issue to have reached Bangalore. I used to take pride that Bangalore does not have many slum areas. This was kinda true up until atleast 2000 or so. After that a lot of slum areas have come up. Atleast this one thing was missing and now this as well. Like Usha says, these people are nomads and their daily needs for shelter should be taken care by the government.
Yes Ravi. The problem could grow out of hands if not looked at now. Low cost housing initiatives are badly needed.
BTW, I find public space encroachment by small businesses to be bigger problem than these huts
Indeed, this has the potential to grow into an uncontrollable civic and social problem for Bangaloreans. But nothing will be done until Kumaranna and Reddy-garu settle the Bellary Mines issue! Life in Bangalore and elsewhere in Kannada Nadu will continue to be held hostage by the shenanigans of mediocre and unworthy politicians (this includes Kumaranna, Daddy Gowda, Garam Singh and the rest of the spineless cast. The way out is to start taking things in our own hands. Doing the right things in small increments, like why wait for the BMP to fix and clean a small drain when the local residents'”association” can hire a “Maali” to clean it up in a single day and be rid of the problem of choked drain? Why can’t we be more pro-active citizens, instead of resigning ourselves to the rule of the wicked and witless?