Yelahanka may have been home to Kempegowda, the city’s founding father. However, a lack of basic amenities has made the residents here feel they have been left behind by the IT capital.
Yelahanka Assembly constituency is comparatively small with just four Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards.
Of the 110 villages newly added villages in the BBMP limits, seven are from Yelahanka. Drinking water troubles, poor sanitation, shoddily asphalted uneven roads and many issues along the major arterial, sub-arterial and ward roads persist today, even a decade after they were declared a part of the corporation.
During the Janaspandana programme organised by Deccan Herald and Prajavani on Sunday, residents of the wards in Yelahanka -- Kempegowda, Chowdeshwari, Atturu and Yelahanka Satellite Town -- gathered to interact with MLA S R Vishwanath, officials from the BBMP, BWSSB, BESCOM and traffic police departments to discuss civic issues in the locality.
More than 250 participants from all the four wards submitted major civic problems such as poor road infrastructure due to road cutting for the ongoing Unaccounted for Water (UFW) project, commercial establishments in residential areas, footpath encroachments, lack of streetlights, garbage woes along major roads due to poor segregation among others.
Residents complained commercial activities in the residential zones caused traffic congestion and encroachments of footpaths in roads narrower than 40 feet.
The BBMP’s Yelahanka Zone joint commissioner Dr Ashok D R said no trade license has been issued for commercial activities in the constituency. “We have received a couple of complaints in this regard. We will identify those establishments soon and will ensure closure within 15 days,” he added.
MLA S R Vishwanath, who agreed that ongoing water pipeline work has resulted in bad roads in his constituency, said the roads will be resurfaced once the project is completed. However, he mentioned three grade separators have been sanctioned for the constituency to ease traffic.
“The ongoing UFW work will be completed in 18 months. Then the entire constituency’s roads will be resurfaced. Meanwhile, the constituency has been sanctioned three grade separators at the Yelahanka Police Station (Rs 58 cr), near MS Pallya (Rs 42 cr) and an ROB at the Kempegowda Circle (Rs 25 cr). Ambedkar Bhavan will be inaugurated soon, which will provide space for community activities for Yelahanka residents. All the other issues will be resolved in 15 days,” the MLA added.
