Govindarajanagar, one of the newly formed areas from the erstwhile Binnypet constituency, houses Chandra Layout, the area notorious for stray dog menace. It was here that an eight-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of nine dogs in January 2007. Since then dog bites are a routine affair here.
Stretching from West of Chord Road to Nayandahalli on Mysore Road, in fragments, this constituency has problems galore such as open drains, irregular garbage disposal, erratic water supply and flooding during rains.
Poor safety
However, residents are more stressed out by increasing instances of chain snatching and robberies. “We cannot walk freely even in front of temples and parks. My chain was snatched recently when I was walking on the stretch of road near the Prashanthnagar Ganesha Temple. A man on a bike snatched it before I could realise what was happening,” said Sudha T.S., a resident of Prashanthnagar.
R. Ashwathnarayana, president of Prashanthnagar Welfare Association, said the association had recently invited police officials and organised a meeting to give tips to the residents how to be careful while walking on the road.
J.H. Nanjundappa, president, Chandra Layout Residents’ Association, is upset about the increasing number of stray dogs in the area. “We are always hounded by dogs in Chandra Layout. Dogs from other areas are brought and released into our area. Although we complain repeatedly to the authorities, it is in vain,” he said.
Unscientifically laid roads humps, haphazard parking, garbage-filled vacant sites and muggings — even during daytime — are the main problems in parts of Chandra Layout that come under Govindarajanagar.
Good and bad
Govindarajnagar, overall, is a mix of well-planned residential layouts and also under-developed localities that lack basic amenities. While areas surrounding Nagarabhavi and West of Chord Road are developed, Moodalapalya, Byraveshwaranagar, Cauverynagar, Saraswatinagar and Nayandahalli lack basic amenities such as proper roads and regular garbage clearance.
Nayandahalli, a newly added area, is perennially flooded during the monsoon. Situated close to the Nayandahalli tank, the locality was inundated for days during the deluge in 2005 after which authorities took up intensive cleaning of the tank, removed the encroachments and built waste weirs.
Residents of M.C. Layout, who claim they fought a battle to protect an open space in the area for a playground, are upset that the BBMP is yet to start work on an indoor stadium as promised.
