After a video titled ‘Bharatanatyam - an essential skill on Malleswaram footpaths’ went viral on social media, the wretched footpaths along the Margosa road are finally set for a makeover.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has now begun the footpath redevelopment.
Concerned citizens of Malleswaram -- one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in the city -- had come down heavily on the authorities in the video, mocking the apathy of civic authorities, along with the hashtag, #footpathbeku (We want a footpath).
Walking the footpaths along the Margosa road was nothing less than performing Bharatanatyam, the video had shown, which was released by the residents two months ago.
Two dancers from the area performed in the video that combined satire and art, in turn mocking the civic agencies.
The viral video was conceived by Preeti Sunderajan and Sowmya Thanthri -- both Bharatanatyam dancers -- along with Malleswaram Social members.
“It is fantastic that the civic authorities are renovating the footpath in Margosa road after the citizen movement. Footpaths are the basic necessities in any city.
Our footpaths are badly designed, poorly maintained and encroached upon,” Suchitra Srinivasan Deep, co-founder of Malleswaram Social told DH.
As part of the campaign, in December 2018, over 50 senior citizens had taken out a silent march on the footpaths of Malleswaram, highlighting the pathetic condition of pedestrian walkways.
The 1.68 km stretch from Circle Maramma Temple to K C General Hospital will be redeveloped under TenderSURE. The civic body will take around 12 months to complete the work.
“The Margosa road will be redeveloped as a TenderSURE road under a package which also includes KG Road. Rs 28.13 crore has been allocated under the Chief Minister’s Nagarothana Scheme,” K T Nagaraj, chief engineer, road infrastructure, (projects), BBMP, said.
“Since the Margosa road footpaths were in a bad condition, we had selected this stretch along with other 13 roads in the city. The work on Margosa road has started from the Circle Maramma Temple and is expected to be completed in another 12 months,” he added.
The police have given permission to the BBMP to start the work. Slow-moving traffic is expected during the construction period.
“The work will affect pedestrian movement, but still the footpath has to be redeveloped. The BBMP has to finish the work soon without causing public inconvenience,” Pavan Sastry, a resident, said.
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