Kicking up a lot of dust

Soon, it will be a year since namma Metro arrived on M G Road. But Bangalore’s dream rapid mass transit project literally sits on one leg on the premier thoroughfare, as the construction of the landing facility on the pavement side of the road seems to be going on endlessly.

With no signs of the landing facility where the Plaza Theatre once stood getting ready, people have to cross the busy main road to reach the station.

 Even business establishments, located on either side of the construction site, are suffering losses.The landing facility at Plaza Theatre was designed to provide an entrance to the M G Road Station from Church Street — but the work is nowhere near complete. The BMRCL officials say the work has been slowed down so as to not cause any inconvenience to the buildings and people around.

B LY Chavan, chief, public relations, BMRCL, tells Metrolife, “The work has been progressing at a steady pace but we’ve slowed it down because there are buildings here and it is a commercial space, where excess noise may disturb the surroundings.”
However, the officials couldn’t zero in on a date when the work would be completed.
Not only is the work site a mess, even the pavements leading to the site remain dislodged.

To add to the woes, there are no tarpaulin covers around the construction area to prevent dust and dirt from falling on the surrounding buildings.

Frequent visitors to M G Road, Brigade Road and Church Street say that unfinished work, right in the heart of the City, is an eyesore and those running businesses around Plaza Theatre confess that their profits have dipped.

Akram, a pavement vendor on Church Street, who has been in the same spot for the last eight years, says the dust and the noise of the drills are unbearable.

“I don’t have too many options to get away from all the dust and noise. Customers don’t stand for too long, owing to the dust. I make maximum profits on weekends but my business is not gathering momentum,” he laments.

More than the restaurants, the hotels and lodges located around the Plaza Theatre are losing business because of the ongoing work.

Subash Rai, manager of Hotel Maya International on Church Street, points out, “We have 12 rooms, each costing Rs 2,000 a day, facing the Plaza Theatre. But we haven’t registered the usual bookings; our customers are usually tourists, who say they don’t want the room because of the noise and dust.”

The scene at a posher hotel like the Shelton Grand is no different.
It has 70 rooms facing the Plaza Theatre and guests who check into these rooms complain of disturbance from the drilling noise at night.

Gopal, the manager of Shelton Grand, says, “We have people who come for business purposes, and tourists. Our rooms have to be cleaned frequently because there is so much dust. It has affected our business. We hope the work will be completed quickly.”
Those who frequent Church Street say that such large-scale work, right in the heart of the City, adds to the soaring pollution levels.

Manigandan, a businessman, says, “There are a lot of developmental projects across the City but those in prime areas, such as M G Road, should be completed on time. This is adding to the pollution in the City.”