Rendering the path unmotorable

It has become customary for motorists to cover their nose when they pass the stretch after Fun World, as they head towards Mekhri Circle. People who travel the road regularly have also become accustomed to the sudden jolts that come along with the ride. 

While the main Jayamahal Road that connects to Mekhri Circle remains undisturbed, despite the unearthly traffic during rush-hour, the diversion road has been turned into a dumpyard. Piles of construction debris and garbage lie heaped by the side of the road, while commuting here is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. Over time, because of the rains, large potholes are getting filled up with not only water, but rotting waste as well. The kachcha road has become almost unwalkable now.

A part of the plan for road widening in the area, this road has been in a state of transition over the last few months. While the BBMP is currently contesting the case in the Supreme Court, and are unable to take up any construction on that stretch of road, the road itself has warped into something new.

Ironically, while the road has heaps of garbage decomposing by the side, from all the surrounding markets and vendors, a line of garbage pick-up trucks rest there at night and leave in the morning.

BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana says, “It is only a collection point and we are trying to minimise on collection points as much as possible.” But even the ‘collectors’ seem to have given up. Subramaniah, a professional and a regular in this area ,says that he saw corporation workers set fire to a heap of garbage instead of taking it away. Once a part of Palace Grounds, the road has also become a dumping ground for construction debris. “Just a few days back, I saw a few trucks unloading bricks and rocks by the side of the road at night,” he says.

M Lakshminarayana says that they are trying to control the illegal dumping activity in the City.  

Yet motorists insist on taking this road. In fact, this road has come as a lifeline to the unbearable traffic that plagues the Mekhri Circle-Jayamahal area. A constable who wished to remain anonymous says, “Even if vehicles are going in the wrong direction or breaking a few rules during the peak hours, we let them do so because everyone has somewhere to go and this route needs a better solution.”

Most people forget about safety in order to save time. Indu, another regular who travels by the BMTC regularly, says, “When buses travel on that road, it gets really hard to hold on because I am trying to cover my nose at the same time.”
Even the pedestrians aren’t safe — they need to be watchful of motorists who might splash dirty water on them and the missing stones on the pavements. Soumya, who travels regularly on this route, says, “It smells really bad, but it can’t be helped. It smells like any other part of the City!”