Peenya Industrial Estate, touted as being the largest in south Asia, is a picture of neglect with bad roads, heaps of garbage, poor underground drainage system, a polluted lake and groundwater, besides being poorly lit and crippled by irregular power and water supply.
Y.G. Nagaraj, co-chairperson of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) panel of the Peenya Industries Association (PIA), describing the industrial area as backward and lacking in civic infrastructure, said: “Garbage lies in heaps on the roads; the drains are clogged and sewage flows on the roads. Not just that, sewage is also getting mixed with the drinking water.”
He also said that the area's sole water body — the Shivapura lake — is also uncared for. The local authorities have done nothing to prevent encroachment or letting in of sewage into it. “The area around the lake stinks and it is unbearable when it rains,” Mr. Nagaraj said.
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“The local representatives (councillors) are not interested in the area. It is vast and comes under the jurisdiction of four councillors. None of them are interested in improving infrastructure here as they don't get many votes from an industrial area,” he alleged.
Senior BBMP officials told
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An official from the Rajarajeshwarinagar zone admitted that it is the councillors who decide the works to be taken up. “It is their discretion. We just have to take up the works they choose.”
Better off then
An official from the Dasarahalli zone claimed there was some infrastructure development during the Administrator's period, when the BBMP council was still not in place. “In two years, Rs. 60 crore was spent on roads and other civic infrastructure, even though the revenue from the area is just around Rs. 13 crore to Rs. 14 crore,” he said. He admitted that after the councillors were elected, not much work has been taken up.