Shortage of water, roads in bad condition, lack of space in houses are no longer issues that evoke wonder or seem unusual.

But, hygiene is a different matter. In the days when a campaign for total sanitation is launched, a city ward having open toilets raises eyebrows regarding provision of basic amenities.

A walk inside Bapujinagar gives one a picture of the unhygienic life the residents live deprived of facilities. There are drains that are blocked, emitting stench. Garbage heaps stand tall beside houses and roads.

Most residents of Bapujinagar ward in the city still use open areas to answer calls of nature, forced to do so due to a lack of toilets in their respective houses.

The public toilet provided by the administration is in poor shape. Shortage of water too is a serious problem affecting the toilets.

Under such circumstances, the citizens have no option but to use public space as toilets.
Bapujinagar is devoid of any signs of development or basic facilities. The ward houses as many as 300 families that have been living such a difficult life for years.

Roads not asphalted

The roads have not been asphalted for several years. Supply of potable water too is a perpetual problem here. The condition of drains has not been improved by the representatives. There has also been no proper way of handling garbage collecting everyday in the public dustbins.

Many residents have not been given ration cards and title deeds. Also, although the residents of the ward submitted repeated requests to the administration to build a wall on the neighbouring Kandavara tank for the sake of safety, their pleas fell on deaf ears.

The residents of Bapujinagar too complain about the lack of toilets in their houses. “The authorities and representatives easily advise us to use the public toilets. But they have not seen how dirty the toilets are,” they said and added that it is virtually impossible to step into them, there is no water supply to even clean the toilets. “They have not appointed anyone to maintain cleanliness of the toilets,” they complained.

The problem has continued for several years, seeing no end. “When elections are round the corner and when the government announces new projects, we turn hopeful that our problems would be solved. Our anticipation has led us nowhere,” complained the residents and added with disgust that the representatives remember them only at the time of voting.

Today, the residents live in anticipation of days of ‘Sampoorna Swachchata’.

‘CMC uncooperative’

Bapujinagar representative Padmamma blames the City Municipal Council, Chikkaballapur, for the poor condition of the ward.

Elected to the CMC for the first time as a candidate from the Bahujan Samaj Party, Padmamma says the Council has not responded positively to her requests to appoint an officer to look into matter of cleanliness and management of the public toilets.

“The Council retorted, asking me who would pay such an officer. When I submitted an application requesting asphalt for roads, putting up street lights, repair of drains, the CMC said there were no funds for such development work,” she said.

“I am unable to face the people I represent as I cannot solve their problems,” said Padmamma speaking with Deccan Herald.

She explained that she was giving prominence to provision of basic facilities but planned to install a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, build an Ambedkar Bhavan as well as develop a Samudaya Vana.

“I recently submitted another application asking for help to solve the problems of my ward. I hope there is a positive response at least this time,” Padmamma said with optimism.