This has become the routine at least for many of the younger residents, because of the state of our being physically cut off from the rest of the world, with the "Maharaja" bridge broken, and the remaining three accesses being too narrow and crowded (and, of these, the "Sinivagilu" village road too has now been closed for major repairs from over 10 days). Even if we somehow manage to extricate ourselves from S T Bed layout, there is the fly-over construction going on, from the tardy 'progress' of which, it looks like it's going to take a long time to complete.
All in all, in a car, it takes some 45 to 75 minutes to just get out of Koramangala, during peak hours, and likewise to get back home.
Yes, we do appreciate that, with the increased traffic congestion all across the city, the future may require us all to leave our cars/ mo-bikes behind at home and walk - if not the whole distance, but may be to the nearest bus stop, at least on the work-day commute. That would be the ideal situation. But, there too, the problems are too many, as noted below (excerpted from the same post, cited earlier):
This of course is apart from the extremely poor public transport connectivity.
All the same, Sir, you'll appreciate that even the younger citizens (and certainly the older ones, and the women and children too) can't be asked to give up on the car/ mo-bike totally, and the state needs to facilitate their movements too to the best possible extent. This is where we are at a loss to understand the how and why of so many works going on simultaneously in S T Bed layout, and Koramangala, in general, making just the thought of leaving home a nightmare (not that it is any better at home, with the frequent power outages).
Firstly, the Maharaja bridge: There are all kinds of vague explanations for demolishing it. The most plausible explanation can be that it got badly damaged while manuevering the heavy earth-moving equipment over it, in the process of clearing the muck thrown being into the SWD, repeatedly. Now, obviously, the BBMP couldn't have authorised these muck clearing jobs - so, who did it, and where is the accountability? And, why weren't the local citizens informed of the decision to demolish the bridge, so that they could make their plans accordingly, rather than being caught totally unawares? And, when the bridge was to be re-constructed, how come the BWSSB decided on placing the 6 ft dia pipes for their sewage line, below the SWD, without the express permission of the BBMP, resulting eventually to a tussle between them, and delaying the completion of the bridge? Anyway, now with the pipe-laying postponed/ re-routed, why are the six pipes still lying around at the site, causing additional hindrance to the flow of traffic? Also, when is the job expected to be completed?
4th block flood mitigation plan: In September last year, there was an announcement of the commencement of work on this plan, with a pooja, presided over by you, Sir. The announcement talked vaguely about laying of pipelines along the 80 ft road (Google terms it "Srinivagilu main road"), from somewhere between Sony-World junction and Maharaja junction.
With the area already badly congested, there was anxiety among residents to understand what the whole proposal was, as also how it was going to affect their overall mobility in the area. So, a request was made to the EE, BBMP, if he could make a presentation to 4th block (which includes S T Bed layout) residents on the proposal, or at least to provide the relevant drawings. But, he appeared busy forever, and it never happened. Subsequently, based on a talk the undersigned had with Mr Govardhan Reddy, the Block Congress convener, the blog, accessible
here , was published. The same was circulated widely amongst the residents hoping for a feedback on whether the assumptions made were correct.
Subsequently, these were personally brought up by the undersigned in three Ward (no 148) Committee meetings too, including in writing. With no response from the Corporator, or any of the Ward Committee members, the contents were mailed out to them, as also to all of the connected BBMP South officials (to id's available on the BBMP web-site), with copies to the Mayor and the Commissioner (check
here ). While cursory acknowledgements were received from both the Mayor and the Commissioner, there was no response whatsoever from any of the officials.
With no information available, but with all kinds of works starting all over, along-with two other residents of S T Bed layout, the undersigned then went over to meet the senior most BBMP officials, concerned. It was then that it became known that the 6ft dia pipes were not for the flood-mitigation project, but for a BWSSB project, for linking a sewage wet-well in NGV to the STP complex at Belur Nagasandra (adjacent to Bellandur lake flood-plains, east of the HAL air-strip). What was even more shocking was that the pipes were to be laid below the SWD bed, starting at "Seva-in-Action" junction, going all the way under the Maharaja bridge (now being re-constructed), the "Naveen Terracres" bridge on the IRR, and some more bridges thereon, ending finally at the NGV wet-well.
Simultaneously, there was the "flood-mitigation" project on too, with a box drain, connecting a "storm-water wet-well" (where the water from the Maharaja junction side, as well as perhaps Raheja Residency side, is expected to get collected) to the Bellandur lake, via a 'syphon' arrangement, passing below the "Seva-in-Action" bridge. The work on this (all along the periphery of the "Prestige Pinewood" project, and beyond - see picture below) too being on-going, any day, the digging could commence near "Seva-in-Action".
For engineers (though not from the Civil stream), that our team consisted of, it didn't seem to make any logic to any of the members. Even the BBMP officials seemed unconvinced about the efficacy of the whole project, and it appeared they had been pushed into taking it up. Now the fear is that, rather than discharging flood waters into Bellandur lake, it could even lead to Bellandur waters flooding back into S T Bed layout, and Koramangala 4th block.
Apparently, there was some "Consultant" involved (who, it is said, later backed out), and some public hearing involving sections of 4th block RWA happened too. The larger question arising here is, is all of that good enough, particularly when it pertains to projects affecting far larger sections of the residents. Is it enough for the rest of the affected residents to be invited just for the 'pooja' (with some sketchy information on the project) at the commencement of the work? This has unfortunately become the practice all through - whether in the case of the 'Egipura-Kendriya Sadan' fly-over project, re-laying of sewage lines, TenderSure, white-topping, Bescom's under-ground cable-laying, telecom cabling strung over trees, Maestrikere rejuvenation, et al.
Apparently, the lessons, from having to stop the work (already commenced) on an earlier mega project on Sarjapur road (involving some three under-passes and a fly-over), and restoration of the road to its earlier status, costing the tax payer a huge sum of money, have not been learned. Sir, as members of the Bangalore Apartments Federation, BTM layout cluster, we wish to request you to involve all of our members in all of future plans for the entire BTM layout constituency, right from the conception stage itself.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
For BAF-BTM cluster,
sd/- Muralidhar Rao
(Vice President, BAF)
ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಗಳು
Points added on on behalf of St John's Wood RWA
so, the fly-over stuck?
letter submitted
Citizen Matter report
Citizen Matter offered to carry a report on the development, and eventually the same was published under the caption "Why Koramangala looks like a War Zone" - it may be accessed here
my responses to CM readers' responses