Seshadripuram needs a saviour

Seshadripuram has the contours of a great locality. What it lacks is leadership and order. One of the most accessible areas of Bangalore, it has been ranked No 11 in the survey of 28 most liveable localities conducted by DNA-AZ.

It has the best advantage in terms of education. It is home to many coveted schools and colleges. It has a comparatively clean ambience with steady power supply and ample water. Its transport accessibility is another plus.

Despite all this, residents have been facing a host of issues. One of the serious problems often talked about by residents is the unavailability of parking space, thanks to reckless construction, lack of civic sense and misuse of public roads.

“Parking is done in a free-for-all manner,” says a baker.

“Another matter of grave concern is the growing number of chain-snatching incidents plaguing the area. Stray dog menace is a big nuisance for which the solution remains elusive. Lack of a system in collecting domestic waste is leading to mounds of stinking garbage on roads and other vacant spaces,” says Chitra Venkatesh, secretary of Kumara Park West Residents’ Welfare Association.

Unplanned junctions without adequate sign boards and unnecessary and sub-standard speed-breakers have resulted in frequent accidents in the area.

“The Girls School Street and snaky road on Kumara Park have become accident-prone areas. With students from the neighbouring educational institutions riding recklessly on these roads, pedestrians are being increasingly exposed to road rage and the dangers that tag along,” says she.

Thanks to lazy policing, residents and students have started parking their bikes and cars on roads, congesting the otherwise broad roads. Visitors thronging the nearby Mantri Mall also park their vehicles in Seshadripuram due to unavailability of sufficient parking space at the mall. This leads to congestion on roads.

“A park developed by the authorities is the only sign of greenery in the vicinity. An effort made by the residents’ welfare association to increase the lung space in the area by planting saplings on the roads hit a road block with saplings deliberately plucked to provide additional parking space” says M Kamal Jain, a resident.

Ill-maintained roads, lack of policing and unattended potholes are other issues awaiting the attention of BBMP. Wine shops retailing liquor and thereby encouraging drunken rowdyism is an issue the police have not looked into despite residents petitioning to the additional commissioner of traffic and security Praveen Sood.