The myriad problems of Marathahalli

The area is not free of civic issues, despite its elevation to an abode of the IT crowd

Once a village on the outskirts of the city not many had heard of, Marathahalli has emerged as a colony for a sizable IT population of the city.

Though the area is home to a number of upmarket apartments, residents are grappling with many civic issues which have gone unresolved over the past six years.

Gated communities like Purva Riviera, Rohan Vasantha and Purva Fountain Square in the area and SJR Spencer located near the Marathahalli flyover are facing drinking water problems and frequent electricity outage.

The Munnekolala Lake, declared as polluted by BBMP, is right behind these apartments posing health risks.  

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the residents said they were buying water shelling out huge amount of money. There is almost no supply of Cauvery water in the area, with the result that the residents are forced to depend on borewell water. But the water table in the borewells too is depleting at a fast rate. Borewell motors do not function whenever there is power failure, triggering water shortage in the area.

Residents said that despite repeated complaints to the officials concerned, their problems had gone unresolved.

“Security is also a key issue here as there are no streetlights around these apartment complexes,” they said.

Residents told Deccan Herald that they feared sending their children outside the apartment complex. Theft cases were increasing and the night patrolling by police was not regular, they complained.

Residents are also wary of the traffic here as there have been many accidents in the recent past. Lack of pedestrian crossings and footpaths has made things difficult for pedestrians.

Barricades are placed inconsistently, thus inconveniencing motorists. Foot overbridges and streetlights are the need of the hour at the Marathahalli flyover junction, say the locals.

That apart, despite an increasing number of apartments, owners are struggling to secure documents for their houses.

A majority of them have been approaching the BBMP for khatas for the past five years, but have still not got them. The High Court, in April, observed that the BBMP could not deny khatas to property owners for non-payment of betterment charges. The residents are hoping that the court ruling will work in their favour.