Taxis, ambulances refuse to enter this road in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Nearly 2,000 residents of Narayana Nagar who reside along the Double Road that connects Kanakapura Road and Banerghatta Road are seething with rage over the plight of their road.

With no asphalting done, everyone dreads a ride on this 8-km stretch full of potholes with dust swirling all around.

Public are stuck during emergencies as taxis, autos and recently even an ambulance refused to enter this road.

Repeated letters to top officials of the Bangalore Development Authority, which is responsible for this road, Bengaluru South MLA M Krishnappa, Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh and regular complaints on social media too have not helped.

Manjunath Reddy, president of Narayana Nagar Residents Welfare Association told The New Indian Express, "This is a crucial road connecting important parts of the City and residents here dread to use it. It is not asphalted, it is non-motorable and full of potholes. Many senior citizens have lost balance when riding here and fallen down. To avoid the road, vehicle users go via Amruth Nagar or use the cross roads around. On behalf of the association, we have approached the MP, MLA, the traffic police and the BDA for the last four years to improve this road but no one helps us."

He also charged the MLA of complete inaction despite many visits to his house in this connection.

Pavan Vasista, a resident revealed that even an ambulance driver refused to drive on this terrible road. "The patient had to take an auto up to the main road and then get into the ambulance waiting there," he said.

B J Jaisimha, a software architect, whose family resides in a corner house here says the dust flying continuously was impacting the health of his young family.

"We are literally living in the middle of dust and it is causing allergies to all of us at home. Heavy vehicles come this side and they ensure the dust rises further," he said.

Stating that the road is "really horrible", he explained how BMRCL, BWSSB, telecom companies and BESCOM regularly dig up the road to carry out infrastructure work and leave without laying the road.

Arun Vasuki, Senior Project Manager, CISCO Systems Limited said the maintenance bills for two-wheelers and four-wheelers soared due to the plight of the road.

MLA Krishnappa told The New Indian Express that he was doing everything he could to ensure the road was restored. "I have raised the issue often with BDA officials. I have asked the BDA a couple of days ago also to call for tender for a cost of Rs 22 crore for the road. I am not sure if the tender has been called for yet due to the COVID surge."

Residents charge the MLA with coming up with repeated excuses and allege he had been speaking of the same tender for long. Repeated calls to BDA engineers went unanswered.