Kausarnagar-Vokkaliga Road: A ward of many contrasts

Several facilities have been provided, but much more needs to done here

Ward number 20, known as the Kausarnagar-Vokkaliga Road ward, extends from the Santhe Market street upto the Gururaja Kalyana Mantap. People from the poorer sections of the society and the middle class are in large numbers in this ward.

The ward is home to the government PU college, government high school, Vokkaligara Bhavana, the Sir M Visvesvaraya Stadium and the new swimming pool. Development in this ward is skewed in that one part has seen progress while the other has not.

All-class area

While people from the poorer sections of the society live at the Kausarnagar slum, people from the rich and middle classes have made Brahmanara Choutry area their home.
Ward number 20 has been witness to many a dispute, including the relocation of 50 families, rumours about the eviction of a temple or the one at the time of providing housing facilities to those residing in sheds near Santhe Market.

Market place

There are also the under-construction mutton market, the vegetable market, the office of the department of public instruction and the office of the block development officer, which make this area a busy one.

But the ward has been lacking in basic amenities like proper water supply. The residents here get hard water. Potable water is supplied only once in 10 days. Work on the underpass has been completed only on the main road, while the cross roads haven’t seen much development.

Stone slabs placed on the narrow roads haven’t been cleared thereby posing a traffic hurdle. The roads are also not even for smooth traffic flow. A proper garbage disposal system is not in place.

The work on concretising the narrow roads has still not been completed. With sewage stagnating on the roads, people say they are afraid to let children play outside, lest they slip, fall and injure themselves.

Water shortage

Of the three borewells in the ward only one is functioning properly. Water from the lone borewell is used by people in about five wards.

The 50 families shifted from Basappa choultry to open sites in Kandavara face the problem of poor amenities. They are demanding that facilities be provided to them in ward number 20 itself.

Councillorspeak

M Jayamma, representing the ward in the City Municipal Council, had won as an independent candidate in the 2008 election.

“I have taken steps to redress the problems in the ward from Day One itself. I was instrumental in getting a public toilet constructed near the government PU college at a cost of Rs 30 lakh. Work on the drainage system was also undertaken. Other pending works will be taken up as and when the funds are released,” Jayamma said.

She said a park had come up near Brahmanara Choutry. Steps would be taken for hygiene in Kausarnagar, Jayamma added.