Quench our thirst first, say people of Banaswadi

If you listen to the civic leader of Banaswadi, A Kodanda Reddy, you get an awesome image of future Banaswadi.

The DNA-AZ survey of best localities in Bangalore 2010 put it at 22nd place, three notches down from last year’s 19th. But Reddy is undaunted.

“We are going to make Banaswadi the number 1 locality in Bangalore,” says he.

But how? First the problems: shortage of drinking water, lack of bus shelters, no playgrounds worth the name, no community hall, damaged roads and seniors neglected.

“I have taken an initiative to sink 10 borewells because Cauvery water proves a mirage and people who have no borewells are suffering. Dwindling greenery is another depressing factor. We will do everything we can to revive the greenery. We have seven parks which are enough, but have no good playground. We don’t have bus shelters either. But we are planning to set up modern shelters,” says Reddy.

There are many hospitals in the area providing quality medical facilities to residents. But there is no  government hospital which is quite unjust for the weaker sections.

Being a senior citizen himself, Reddy is concerned about the welfare of old people. He has helped some people who had problem in getting their pension. Recently, he launched tailoring lessons for widows free of cost.

R Krishnappa, president of Bhuvanagiri Welfare Association, says while big apartments have come up in many areas, amenities like roads don’t match them. This will result in many problems in the future.

“Take the OMBR Layout, for instance,” says he. “Here, plots are big but the road is too narrow due to which in an emergency, ambulances or fire engines won’t be able to reach the spot. Sanitation facilities are also poor.”

He says the local reservoir is dry while water board officials claim there will be enough water by 2011.

Since Banaswadi lies close to the outer ring road, it is well connected to other parts of the city. The international airport is just 12 km away and the city railway station is 20 km away.

On its foyer is Banaswadi railway station although one has to go to the city to board long distance trains. The Banaswadi Main Road and 100 ft road connect this place to the rest of the city.

 “It is a mini India,” says Ravi Kumar, a local developer.

 “All linguistic minorities could be found here. It is a swell of an area. But one black spot is water shortage. Also, greenery is decreasing,” says he.

Sam Candler, a student, is all praise for his locality. “It is an awesome place. No serious crime here. It’s a peaceful area well-connected too,” says Sam.

Like Sam, there are many residents who believe Banaswadi has many things that make it stand out.