Bengaluru: In an echo of the '#Save Whitefield' protest of November 2015, residents of nearby Nallurahalli have given a call to save their neighbourhood from civic apathy. Street lights that don't work, open drains and roads that develop sinkholes are making everyday life a nightmare, they complain.
Their call is #Nallurahalli Kapadi (Save Nallurahalli). They point to the pathetic condition of Borewell Road, a narrow 1.5 km long stretch that has turned into an arterial road connecting Whitefield to Nallurahalli.
BWSSB started laying an Under Ground Drainage (UGD) line in August 2016 with an October 2016 deadline. To this day, the work remains incomplete, resulting in disruptions in daily commute and an increase in pollution.
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On Monday, residents snapped on seeing multiple sinkholes on a newly repaired part of the road, triggering protests.
However, bad roads is not the only issue plaguing the suburb. High level of air pollution, lack of traffic enforcement making the road accident-prone, non-functional street lights and garbage strewn on the streets are some of the problems residents will be taking up.
There are 14 schools on the road, say residents.
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"My three-year-old son goes to a playschool on Borewell Road. Dust enters the school premises. Plus, the playground is next to the road. Most of the children suffer from a cold and cough. Doctors say it is due to pollution," says Praveen Kumar, a resident.
Dust pollution has contributed to air pollution to a large extent. The Particulate Matter 2.5 level is above 400 parts per million (ppm) while the acceptable level is 50 ppm, according to residents who have measured the quality of air with hand-held devices.
Shanthi Chandola, a wildlife photographer and resident, said that the road is used by heavy vehicles, mainly water tankers. “From 7.30 a.m. till 11.30 a.m., several heavy vehicles block the road. We demand a ban on heavy vehicles at least during the peak hour traffic,” she said.
To make matters worse, the street lights are not functioning properly, she said, leading to chaos and accidents at night. Residents claim that Borewell Road alone has seen six fatal accidents in the past one year apart from several non-fatal ones.
Murugaraj Swaminathan, a techie, said that the residents have planned a demonstration on Wednesday to draw the attention of the authorities concerned, get them to coordinate among various agencies and solve the mess.
K.R. Manjunath, Chief Engineer, Projects, BWSSB, told The Hindu that it would take a month for them to complete the work and re-lay the road.