The Observer An IIJNM publication
Stench due to liquid waste makes KR Market’s parking lot a hellhole | P 2
Vol 17, Issue 6
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Sreejani Bhattacharyya sreejani.b@iijnm.org
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Buses take up to 45 minutes to get out of the Majestic bus stand because of water logging after rain | Credit:Sreejani Bhattacharyya the water logging issue, Gouse Peer, a KSRTC traffic controller who has worked at the station for 35 years said: “The bus station faces a huge drainage problem. It’s on a lower ground compared to other areas. The water logging problem is so acute it takes a lot of time for the rain water to flow
out. This leads to massive traffic snarls. It takes hours to return to normalcy.” The station, opened in the 1960s, is located on the bed of the dried-up Dharmambudhi lake. One side of the bus station is used by BMTC buses, and the southern side by long-distance
services of the KSRTC and other bus operators. One rainy day, The Observer saw passengers who had completed their journeys at Majestic stuck for almost half an hour. There was complete chaos, with none of the vehicles following any rule. People had to walk through ankle-deep water after the rain stopped. Anusha Rane, who frequently boards buses from the station, said: ”Whenever I catch a bus on a rainy day, it takes much time for the bus to get out from the station. I reach my destination much later than I should have.” Rekha Kambi, who works as a conductor in BMTC, concurred with Peer. “Owing to water logging, there is a massive traffic jam here. It becomes impossible for drivers to get their buses out. Once we had to wait 45 minutes to just get out of the station. The station is packed with commuters, autos and buses trying to move through the station.”
Bengalureans welcome Maa Durga Saket Tiwari saket.t@iijnm.org
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engaluru’s Bengali community is celebrating Durga Puja with gusto. “Utsav”, organized by Bengalis living in JP Nagar, has come up with a unique theme: Showcasing different cultures. President of the event Kinshuk Roy, informed The Observer: “I have been president of the event since 2015. I am based in Bangalore for the past nine years for my job. I travel to places like Jamshedpur, Nagpur. Everywhere I have been associated actively with Durga Puja and all Bengali socio-cultural events. I enjoy it so I am here, with a small but strongly committed and enthusiastic group of friends. For
the past six years Utsavdurga Puja is one of the most talked about events.” A regular visitor to the event, Barnali Sarkar, said: “This is our sixth year here. Though we are a small group of people here in Utsavdurga Puja, I think our popularity has been on the rise ever since we started it. People love it because of the warmth they get here, and this is what we want to maintain.” Trideb Sen, general secretary of the organizing committee said: “This Puja is very popular in South Benguluru. The Puja has a 'ghorer pujo' (homely puja) kind of feel. On Shashti we will have the 'boron' (welcoming) of Maa Durga. We have programs scheduled for all the five days. Flee markets, food stalls have also been put up.”
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Every time it pours, Majestic’s bus station comes to standstill he Kempegowda Bus Station becomes slushy and comes to a standstill every time there is heavy rain. About 1988 BMTC buses travel to and fro from the stop everyday with 20928 trips daily , taking passengers to destinations within and outside Karnataka. Jagdish, an autorickshaw driver who ferries people to and from the bus station, informed The Observer: “When it rains, it becomes really difficult to run autos in between buses due to heavy water logging. It takes a long time for the buses to move out; only then do the autos get to move. A lot of time is wasted due to this.” Buses of the BMTC, KSRTC and transport corporations of other states operate from the station, popularly known as Majestic, located in Gandhinagar, central Bengaluru. Talking to The Observer about
The Observer
The organizers of the JP Nagar Durga Puja say that the celebration attracts a lot of Bengalureans every year | Credit: Saket Tiwari
Neeladri Nagar roads become prone to accidents during monsoon Pracheta Panja pracheta.p@iijnm.org
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eople commuting through Niladri Nagar, Electronics City, have faced difficulties for a long time due to the poor condition of roads. The roads are muddy and accident-prone. There is no solution in sight as the Doddathoguru
A muddy road at Neeladri Nagar| Credit: Pracheta Panja Gram Panchayat and the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA) have both disowned responsibility for maintaining the roads. In 2012 and 2016, the BBMP tried to bring Electronics City under its jurisdiction, but the association opposed the move. The road in front of the industrial area is well maintained, but the condition of roads in residential areas is entirely different. Residents complain it is difficult to walk on the roads, dusty in summer, become slushy during monsoon. Jyoti Sharma, a mother of a four-year-old, informed The Observer: “It is very difficult to cross the road with my son. The traffic situation remains the same all day. There are no traffic police to regulate the flow of vehicles.” A retired banker, Sham Kumar, said: “Almost a year ago, people protested about the hazards they have to face every moment, but there has been no improvement.” Siddhartha Dutta, an engineer who works in an MNC, said: “When it rains, the road becomes slippery and muddy. There are potholes everywhere. I have lived here for the past eight months and not seen any progress. Rather it is worsening by the day.” Doddathoguru Gram Panchayat president Anilkumar BK did not answer calls from The Observer.