Age-old locality suffers 'ancestral' problems

Providing basic amenities like drinking water, good roads, power supply, improvement of under ground drainage, development of parks and taking up other progress works still a big challenge for civic bodies in old residential areas. The elected representatives, officers involved in the implementation works would always face public wrath whenever they are ready to implement developmental works in such layouts.

The houses in old residential areas are not properly constructed on straight lanes as our ancestors never had the idea of a planned-city in earlier days.

Open drainage system was common and we can see reminiscents of this even today. These drain give away when it rains, or when the drains get clogged.

Our ancestors depended on rearing cows, sheep, buffaloes to eke out their living from times immemorial in villages.

This age old profession continued by their progeny in old residential areas of the city though Mysore rapidly witnessing high rise of buildings, apartments, multiplex, branded shopping malls and opened to all kinds of modern civic amenities in the age of economic liberalisation era.

The officials will always face an uphill task in the implementation of road widening, asphaltation in old residential areas. The residents in such layout have tethered their domestic animals in front of the houses on congested roads.

They can take up the works only after the consultation with residents, but there would be opposition from several persons.

The other problem is the supply of drinking water.  The water has to be released continuously. Unlike the developed and well planned layouts residents have sump facility, the old residents do not have such facility.

They have to collect water through the public taps. Space for parks, vacant land for construction of anganawadi centres, government library hall is a distant dream in such areas.

Infact, the ward number 33 corporator facing such problems from the residents of her ward. Shanthakumari, elected on JD(S) ticket for the first time coping with such complaints from public. Paduvarahalli,one of the old residential area of the city located on Mysore -Hunsur road falls under this ward.

The area of the ward stretches from Mathrumanadali circle to Valmiki road to Mysore-Hunsur road. The total number of voters around 15,000 with a population of 25,000.
People of all segments dominant with Vokkaligas are residing in the ward. Majority of the people involved in construction of building, contract works, employed in various factories and other menial jobs.

Despite constraints from residents of the ward. The MCC and elected representatives successfully implemented asphaltation works on important streets. Srilakshmi, housewife and a resident of the ward said that door to door solid waste collection and management is good as employed workers from MCC collect the same regularly.

There are less complaints about the supply of drinking water.  The residents of low lying areas of the ward had to live in constant fear during rainy season due to poor underground water drainage system.

The public demanded that the storm water drain works connecting towards Kukkarahalli lake be completed at the earliest. The MCC and other civic bodies concerned have never been able to find the solution for the problem even today.

Speaking to City Herald, corporator of the area, Shanthakumari said that she has given importance to asphaltion of main road connecting Hunsur road to Mathrumandali circle as large number of vehicle riders moving towards Mathrumandali circle take this route.
Besides, asphaltation of all streets, construction of community hall for various communities residing in the ward is underway.