If road widening and Namma Metro work are the only reasons that have made the going tough on Kanakapura Main Road, there wouldn't haven been many voicing complaints.
After all, one must put up with inconveniences for the sake of infrastructure.
But when people on the stretch near Jaraganahalli have to tolerate open drains flanking it, with putrefying garbage strewn around vast areas from Banashankari to the NICE Road-connect, it is a different matter.
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The garbage attracts both cattle and canines, while the bone-jarring drive across potholes prompts serious reflections on emigration.
Dogged by canines
Says Ramkumar, a resident of Vakil Garden: “Dogs chase my bike at various points on the road. It is a state that speaks of the BBMP as well as its animal [control] programme.”
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“Eaten-up roads, garbage, underground drainage pressure and dog menace can describe Kanakapura Road. Meaningful developments such as the cultural centre Shankara and international schools are clouded by infrastructure miseries,” complains Ramakrishna, a volunteer at The Art of Living Foundation.
After Sarjapur Road, Hebbal and Whitefield, developers set their eyes on Kanakapura Main Road. Time was when for Bangaloreans, Kanakapura Main Road meant the Roerich's Tataguni Estate, the several “mudde manes” and “dhabas” for evening outings and Tamarind Tree for music enthusiasts.
The emergence of NICE Road and Metro Cash & Carry was enough for a host of swanky residential projects to take off.
‘Why not builders?'
“Unless the local administration is geared to tackle the garbage issue, even the part-laying of roads is meaningless. [If the civic body can't], why can't major builders contribute to developing the road in their own interest?” asks Raghav Reddy, resident of BDA Layout, Anjanapura.