While walking on Berlie Street on October 4, civic activist Kathyayini Chamaraj, who is also a member of the Shanthinagar Ward Committee, fell victim to broken slabs on the pavement. Even in pain, the irony of the situation was not lost on her as she has been fighting for better civic infrastructure through citizen participation. Unable to free her foot, she took the help of passers-by to remove the broken slabs. The doctor has advised her six weeks rest as it could be a ligament tear or hairline fracture. Only an MRI will reveal the extent of injury, she said. She spoke to The Hindu about the need for agencies to work with citizens to improve Bengaluru’s infrastructure. Excerpts:
Have you raised the issue of poor footpaths in ward committee (WC) meetings?
While hearing a case recently, Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka Abhay Okha directed ward committee members to take note of the condition of roads and footpaths in their wards and report them. I took photographs of the footpaths on Berlie Street early in August and posted them on the committee’s WhatsApp group. The Zonal Joint Commissioner is a member as well. I even raised the issue in the meeting in September. However, no action was taken.
The BBMP has now fixed the footpath...
Why was action not taken after I pointed it out in August itself? Are accidents the only way to spur the BBMP into action? How will the officials justify the indifference to the Constitutional mandate?
What is your next course of action?
I’m hoping the High Court, which is likely to hear a PIL plea on ward committees, will take suo motu action about the systemic failure in the BBMP, as officials and councillors are not bothered about citizens’ participation or accountability. I will also claim compensation from the BBMP, as I think it is the only way to hold them accountable.
