dangling cables

Bengaluru

lakes

BBMP

By Y Maheswara ReddyPotholed roads, broken or non-existent pavements and– that is what seems to define to, once a city ofand gardens and referred to as pensioner’s paradise.And the culprit for all three problems is the same — the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ().If the dangling cables at Bella­ndur, Maratha­halli, Shantinagar, Indiranagar and other prominent areas are any indication, the BBMP seems to have turned a blind eye to these ugly urban eyesores. Most of the electric poles are used by cable operators to put up the cables and majority of these cables pose danger not only to pedestrians but also two-wheeler riders.“We were very happy when the BBMP authorities embarked on removing illegal cables at Bellandur but they stopped the drive after a few days. There is no respite for the residents from the illegal cable menace. We have even filed a police complaint but in vain,” says Vishnu Prasad, a resident of Bellandur.Expressing disgust and disappointment over the dangling cables, Seema Sharma, a member of Bellandur Kasamukta, said that it has become difficult for the pedestrians to walk on the footpath due to the dangling cable wires. “I commute from Bellandur to Whitefield every day by bus. I have to walk some distance to catch the bus but it has become tough for me to walk on the footpath due to the dangling cables. I want the authorities to remove them without any delay,’’ she added.At Marathahalli Bridge, the cables not only dangle dangerously from electric poles; heaps of them can be seen lying around a traffic police post. It is quite surprising to see such a mess here despite the presence of traffic police personnel throughout the day.“The traffic police post was installed by a public sector bank and a few NGOs a few years ago for the benefit of traffic policemen manning the traffic here but now it has become a dumping place for illegal and unwanted cables. I want the authorities concerned to keep this place clean, especially free from illegal cables,’’ says Radhakrishna N, a resident of Marathahalli.Expressing concern over the illegal cables in the city, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjuna said that she had already advised the BBMP Special Commiss­ioner to take measures to fix this problem.“I will remind him once again. He has told me about the need to inspect the places and advise the cable operators to remove them. I expect him to take suitable measures to fix this problem as early as possible,’’ says the Mayor.