Even when the BBMP sets out to help people, it can sometimes end up doing just the reverse. While it is re-building and re-modelling a storm water drain to help it carry rain water in the monsoons, it has in the process made it difficult for commuters from Bore Bank Road near Pottery Town to reach a school, bus stop or offices in ITI Layout, SK Garden, Chinnappa Garden, and Benson Garden.
“To reach Benson Town, ITI Layout, SK Garden and nearby areas which are less than half a kilometer away, we have to take a detour of over two kilometers because of the delay in building a bridge across the drain. The delay in completing the project is also leading to a foul smell in the area and many children are falling ill as a result,” says Mr K. Mathaiah, a resident of Bore Bank Road, complaining that although the people have been complaining about the problem for months, no one is paying them any attention.
Parents here more worried than others as schools have reopened after the summer vacation and their children have to pass by this drain almost every day. They fear they could slip into it as although the BBMP Storm Water Drain (SWD) wing has created a narrow road for residents to go from one side of the drain to the other, there is no proper pathway in place to help them get across.