Bellandur Gate

Bengaluru

BBMP

BBMP authorities filled up the manhole in the middle of the road and now there is no way to clear it -Resident of Bellandur

By Bharat HegdeTurns out the residents of Bellandur don’t need the lake to make their lives hell; their roads can do it too. The areas surrounding Bellandur, Dodakkanahalli and Devarabisanahalli have shockingly poor road infrastructure and people have now resorted to social media to voice their grievances.The road connecting the Sarjapur Road tohas been narrowed due to the various construction activities. To add to the chaos, the road also has no pavements, squeezing people and vehicles to one side of the road.Along with huge potholes, long queues of vehicles and unending traffic jams, the open drains are another bother for people living in nearby areas. Residents have complained how even short spells of rain can bring the entire area to its knees with flooded streets and overflowing drains.A resident complained, “The drain runs for almost two kilometres and starts overflowing during monsoons. When we complained to the BruhatMahanagara Palike () authorities they filled up the manhole in the middle of the road. However, this just made matters worse as now there is no way to clear the manhole when it overflows since it is sealed shut by the asphalt. There is no foresight to any work done here.”In Devarabisanahalli, construction activity has been abandoned and construction material lines the road. A spate of accidents and near misses seem to have spooked motorists in the area. “We don’t know who to approach. When we contacted the Palike, they simply said that we have to wait. What are we paying road tax for,” complained another resident.