Bangalore, October 25: A drive along Mahalakshmi Layout main road will reveal a deceptively ordered locality with swanky commercial establishments and apartments. But it is only when you step into the narrow lanes of Geleyara Balaga, which is part of Mahalakshmipuram (ward number 68), that another reality will present itself.
For dozens of homes, tucked away beside a large stormwater drain of the Vrishabhavathi valley, life is precarious and vulnerable to every conceivable problem that arises from being inches away from that open air mess. When these families are not worried about flooding during the monsoon, they are concerned about the health hazards of living besides a dangerous, unhygienic, mosquito-infested drain.
Rukmani sits outside her house, rolling incense sticks along with her friends – each of them armed with a handkerchief to protect themselves against the stench of the drain which is filled with garbage.
But the stench is the least of their worries. Most residents like Rukmani dread the monsoon season for they say that the drains overflow with huge pressure, damaging their houses and belongings. “There is no retaining wall and several times our houses have been damaged during heavy rain,” she says. The open drains are partly covered by the retaining wall, while a large stretch remains without the retaining wall which poses several dangers for the residents.
Manjunath, a hotel worker, says he has to do a balancing act every day to get to the main road. With no pucca road and connectivity, residents have made a make-shift path using stones to reach the main road. “When there is no electricity we cannot even think of stepping out of the house,” he said.
No place to play
Meanwhile, four-year-old Kavyasri and her six-year-old brother Suhan V. do not remember the last time their mother Manjula allowed them to go outside their house and play. “It is extremely dangerous to let our children out of the house as the drain is just inches away.”
The BWSSB sanitary pipeline flows in the middle of the drain but the sanitary lines are clogged because of the garbage that is accumulated. Chikkathayamma, a domestic worker, says they have to battle with mosquitoes, snakes and bandicoots everyday.
A report prepared by the BBMP about the drain states that the retaining wall on both the sides of the valley is in a “dilapidated” condition and would need “immediate” attention.
‘No funds’
Responding to these concerns, S. Keshavamurti, councillor of Mahalakshmipuram ward, said that close to 500 houses were affected because of the drainage. “We are aware of the dangers and health hazards of the open drain. However, the BBMP does not have adequate funds for this project and has asked us to approach the government for financial support,” he added.
Sources in the Storm Water Drain division of the BBMP point out that a detailed project report for the remodelling of the secondary Vrishabhavathi Valley (V-203) from Geleyara Balaga main road to the junction of secondary Vrishabhavathi Valley 202 was submitted to the BBMP in June 2012, but the BBMP had directed it to approach the government for funds. A total of Rs. 4.80 crore has been estimated for strengthening retaining walls, building U-shaped drainage for 800 metres and seven culverts.
“We do not know which department we can seek funds from as this is a huge project,” a source in the SWD (west) division told.
