Kothanur residents wade through sewage, broken roads

Residents of Evergreen Layout main road in Kothanur have been negotiating damaged roads, overflowing sewage and inadequate street lighting for several months, struggling to navigate the stretch. They said the road has remained in poor condition for nearly seven to eight months, while sewage has been overflowing for the past two months. They alleged that repeated patchwork and poor-quality civic works have failed to provide a lasting solution.“The deplorable condition has dragged on for months, with sewage overflowing for the last two months. Every year, the infrastructure suffers damage because of poor‑quality work,” said Ashish, a resident of Evergreen Layout.Residents also pointed to a lack of coordination between the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Confusion over jurisdiction between the KR Puram and Mahadevapura constituencies, they said, has further delayed action.Uttara Kannada records 19% rainfall deficit, yet 636 km of roads damagedAneesh Varghese, another resident, said the road was earlier a layout road before being taken over by the government, but alleged that maintenance has been scant since.For residents, the sewage problem has become an everyday ordeal. “It has been a full month of continuous drainage leakage. Children and residents have to walk through the foul stench every day,” said Benny CV, a resident.He also complained about non-functional streetlights, saying vehicles often splash sewage water on pedestrians at night. Residents have urged the civic authorities to fix the drainage system, restore the road and ensure functioning streetlights at the earliest.A senior official with GBA, who is in charge of the area, said that coordination with different civic agencies, such as BWSSB and Bescom, is the biggest challenge.“Sewage overflow comes under the BWSSB’s purview. Contractors in charge must fix the problem, but they are delaying it, and the road will inevitably be damaged by continuous stagnant water. There should be a mechanism for seamless coordination. We will look into this issue and try to resolve it at the earliest,” said the official.

Source: Deccan Herald