Residents succeed where BBMP failed, keep Brookefield road spic and span

A two-kilometre road that leads to residential layouts, apartment blocks and commercial streets in Brookefield, Kundalahalli, looks unusually clean and pothole-free.

While the civic body did asphalt this road in East Bengaluru about six months ago, it's the novel initiative of area residents that has ensured that the busy street remains spic and span. Along the stretch, it's hard to find garbage lying unattended. And pedestrian safety is at the heart of the road's new design.

All this has come at a cost: around 1,500 families living on either side of the Ryan International School road pool between Rs 60,000 and Rs 80,000 each month without fail to maintain the public road. The Brookefield Layout Residents' Association — active since 2014 — has been leading the initiative by collaborating with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), area residents and shop owners.

Sweeping the entire road every day is one of the main activities that it carries out. It has hired four workers to ensure the road is free from litter, leaves or debris. And before every monsoon, it hires more men to desilt the drains.

Another crucial work taken up by the community is to keep the road pothole-free. If the road is dug up by any government agency, the residents' association quickly gets it filled using its own funds. Residents have also installed nearly a hundred bollards on the pedestrian pathway to keep vehicles at bay. Of course, it has taken the necessary approvals from the civic authorities.

It’s also hard to miss the line of trees that provide the perfect shelter to pedestrians and cyclists along the stretch. This "green corridor" — located on the edge of the road — is also a place where dogs can poop. This has ensured the footpaths are clean.

Years of struggle

The two-km stretch, residents recall, was in a complete mess until 2014. "The drains were filled with trash and silt. The footpath was non-existent. It was extremely unsafe for pedestrians. The road was narrow. There were constant traffic jams and public spats. There were so many garbage spots. We decided enough was enough and built this strong local community," said Arvind Keerthi, an active member of the association.

The association played a key role in widening the road by persuading a tech park to part with its land. The road is now wide enough to accommodate bi-directional traffic and also has adequate space for pedestrians.

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