Huge revenue earner for govt, this market area is left to rot

Whe Gandhinagar assembly constituency with around 12 lakh footfalls every day is perhaps the most visited locality in the entire state.

The seven BBMP wards  in the constituency - Dattatreya Temple, Gandhinagar, Subhashnagar, Okalipuram, Chickpet, Cottonpet and Binnypet present a picture of overcrowding, chaos and lack of even basic civic amenities.

 One can buy anything, as the local parlance goes, from “plastic to platinum” in the bustling, criss-crossing lanes and bylanes of the business hubs of Chickpet, Cottonpet and Binnypet. The City Railway Station, Kempegowda Bus station and the partially dismantled KSRTC bus station fall inside the jurisdiction of Subhashnagar ward, while slums dot Gandhinagar and Okalipuram.

A severe water crisis has gripped Ramachandrapura, Hanumanthapura, Kasturinagar and Gopalpura in Okalipuram ward and parts of Gandhinagar ward. Sanjana, a resident of Ramachandrapura, said the taps have gone dry for 10 days now. The last time residents here received BWSSB water, the supply lasted only 15 minutes. The residents depend on borewell water and there is  risk of contamination due to proximity of leaking sewer lines to the pumps.

The entire Gandhinagar locality faces traffic chaos. People and vehicles fight for space to move forward. The traffic police have put several signs - One-way, no ‘U’ turn, No parking  - but the motorists seem to be oblivious to these signs. Some traffic rules make no sense.  The lane behind biscuit factory in Subhashnagar, for instance, becomes one-way in the morning and the rule becomes applicable in the reverse direction in the evening.

Lack of proper garbage clearance and overflowing drains has led to unhygienic conditions in the otherwise busy Sarvagna Street, Kalappa Block in the locality. Mounds of garbage lay unattended at every nook and corner and  sometimes dumped into a stormwater drain in the area.

Every inch of available space has been occupied in the wholesale markets of the various ‘petes’ in Gandhinagar constituency. In this oldest business district in Bengaluru, traders have to battle with uncleared garbage, choked roads,  traffic congestion,  old drains and overflowing sewage water.

Each pete has its speciality - Mamulpet is the hub for readymade garments, Sultanpet for paper marts, wedding cards and stationery, Chickpet for textile and silk cloth, BVK Iyengar Road and Avenue Road for retail goods, Balepet for electrical goods among others.

“Chickpet and surrounding areas generate a lot of revenue to the government. The revenue generated in the locality is much more than that mobilised in Jayanagar, Koramangala or Brigade Road. However, the locality lacks basic facilities. There is no public toilet or a single pre-paid auto stand”, points out Sajjanraj Mehta, a trade activist. 

Last year, the traders here submitted a proposal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make Chickpet as a model shopping zone free of congestion. The proposal suggested that main lanes of the locality be made ‘pedestrian only’ zones with concrete roads, covered drains and high quality footpaths. It suggested that electric or battery operated vehicles ply on the lanes for easy movement of  shoppers with space for keeping their goods. 

“The chief  minister forwarded the proposal to the BBMP Commissioner for necessary action. However, till today there has been no response from the BBMP,” says Mehta. The congested bylanes of Cottonpet present a mess. Stink rents the area due to rotting garbage. The garbage, residents say, is sometimes not removed for weeks. Overcrowding and lack of proper sanitary lines lead to waterlogging when it rains.

The huge crater of a pothole in New Binny Layout, Binnypet has already broken the limbs of many a motorist, especially during rains. Ganga, a resident, recalls that at least 15 motorcyclists skidded on the stretch a few days back when it rained. Motorists cannot see the pothole as it gets waterlogged.

The vegetable vendors of the now-demolished Seshadripuram market are a disgruntled lot. The 50-year-old market was demolished with the authorities promising them that the old bazaar would be transformed into a modern one. But, the plan has remained only on paper. “As many as 50 vendors were promised new shops. It has been three years since the market was demolished but construction of the new one is yet to begin. We have been given temporary sheds on the roadside and business has gone down,” says R K Somaprakash, a vendor.