[saikarthik]

Say you are on the outskirts of a bustling metropolis and the locality is under development, you would totally feel this. Now, every ordinary citizen who lives in such environment would find difficulties with ongoing construction of basic infrastructure or the buildings. But there are some more problematic nuances for some who are like the people on this forum.

I am not posting against the development or with an intolerable mindset of the problems around, but just to pen down a couple of observations and also to get some more from you guys. I am not disclosing the exact location, but this is around the Whitefield-Hosakote road. The street I reside now is pretty close to the main road and also the old Madras road, the place is full of residential apartments, roads are partly laid, sewer lines, gas pipeline, optic fiber and electric poles are being laid, almost every month or so one by one. This situation is experienced by almost everyone, like each department or corporation decides to dig and fill a freshly laid road, they won't even co-ordinate like removal of debris. What's new?

But, it depends on how long one locality can endure this, especially when the street is on the path to vast, open, undeveloped land. There are agricultural fields behind our apartments and even they are being converted as plots for sale. Whenever we think this is over and we can live peacefully, some other plot gets sold and the whole "Khadda khod" business starts. Let me list down some of the issues to keep this thread crisp and to the point,

• Constant construction of buildings which create fine dust which gets deposited on the car - have to clean this abrasive layer every single day apart from reduced quality of breathable air.
• Noise from the construction site from the machines, and material loading unloading.
• Unsafe and clogged streets due to increased traffic - flying rocks from tire squeeze, unruly driving, parking irresponsibly and blocking exits.
• Nails, debris, shards of glass, unwanted material dumped and what not on the road.
• Broken roads, manholes, sludgy roads during rains.
• Interruption of power due to new lines, or moving old poles.
• Unusable road sections - poles not moved, manholes are either deep or protruding.

The recent example is, we used to buy fresh veggies from the farmers behind the apartment, but now a large private corporation has bought it and they are filling the land with mud, using large trucks which are too heavy for this road. Take a look at the land which was used to be a farm land rich with water and a lake nearby. Also, the roads which lead to it where we reside.

The company has promised to relay the surface and also replace the broken manholes which is the best they could and I am glad they promised. But this is a pain we have to endure at least for another 5 years or so considering all the fresh plots that are being made and sold.

What are your experiences and any suggestions?

[Akshay6988]

I can feel your frustration as I am also facing this menace of dug up roads ! The arterial road joining to the main road from my society is about a kilometer in length, half of which didn't exist at all - it was going through a private property and the land owner wasn't budging to give up that area ! After lots of follow-up and speaking with local politicians, finally that road was constructed in last August. And now the municipality decided to build the remaining half of the road. One would say that's a good thing, getting good roads and such. But the thing is, these morons "forgot" to lay down drainage pipes on the newly built road Yes, that is what the contractor said when asked why he was digging up already made road !

As if this wasn't enough trouble for me, they dug up the side of the road thrice in last four months - to lay down gas pipeline, underground electricity cables and for street lamp poles ! On all these instances, they did the work over the weekend and promised to fill in the pit same day, but that didn't happen! My house is parallel to the road so I couldn't take out any of my vehicle for two days It is really frustrating to see the tax money we pay, being misused and wasted by these incompetent folks, at the same time giving trouble to us !

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Akshay6988

I can feel your frustration as I am also facing this menace of dug up roads !

Tell me about it! It took them more than a month complete the drainage work on my narrow road. Till then residents had to find creative solutions to park their cars, mainly on the main road, because none of us could take our cars inside our homes or even on the street. Not to mention the dust that is still on the road and blows in to our houses everyday, because they haven't cleared that yet.

And best part is that they have started digging up the adjoining road again...after completing drainage work there a couple of months ago!

Yesterday I was up on the terrace cleaning some mud, when I saw a couple of people measuring the road in front of the house. My BP went up because I assumed that "here we go again, now they will dig it up again!" Went running down to ask them what they were measuring for, but by that time, they had left.

If it reaches a stable point at some point, and they do a quality job, I wouldn't complain and it would be easier to bear the inconvenience for a better future. But the problem is a shoddy job that takes forever and then they dig again in a few months!

Originally Posted by saikarthik

Say you are on the outskirts of a bustling metropolis and the locality is under development, you would totally feel this.

It's not just the outskirts, Bangalore city center too was 'under construction' for a long time for the smart city initiatives. It's all completed now and looks great, but I fear it's only a matter of time before they dig up everything for some other project!

[saikarthik]

Originally Posted by Akshay6988

I can feel your frustration as I am also facing this menace of dug up roads !

As if this wasn't enough trouble for me, they dug up the side of the road thrice in last four months - to lay down gas pipeline, underground electricity cables and for street lamp poles ! On all these instances, they did the work over the weekend and promised to fill in the pit same day, but that didn't happen! My house is parallel to the road so I couldn't take out any of my vehicle for two days It is really frustrating to see the tax money we pay, being misused and wasted by these incompetent folks, at the same time giving trouble to us !

It's this frustration with which people get out on the roads, and even the bigger roads are clogged due to some other construction cause road rages to an extent.

Same thought on multiple diggings, who is the one authority that needs to check or co-ordinate all these? I guess the Gati-Shakthi portal is aimed at solving such issue, but how it will be executed is to be seen. And mostly, it comes to the discipline as well, in our roads the mud and debris from holes are lying on the side and reduced the road width which is already reduced by the very hole they dug. How long dues it take to just refill it? In another instance they laid drain at a junction which is too high and steep that no vehicle could cross for 2 weeks, some frustrated resident then filled mud.

Originally Posted by am1m

Tell me about it! It took them more than a month complete the drainage work on my narrow road. Till then residents had to find creative solutions to park their cars, mainly on the main road, because none of us could take our cars inside our homes or even on the street. Not to mention the dust that is still on the road and blows in to our houses everyday, because they haven't cleared that yet.

Similar instance, for those who were in hometown, there was not even a warning, and they literally had to park the vehicles on road for 3-4 days. Also, these guys cut power from morning to evening without prior notice and how long can UPS last for those who are working from home? Literally no sense or responsibility! I wonder when the government departments are going to understand that they are doing these for people and not just some work.

[Raghu M]

I think we are all part of the problem, aren't we? Before you moved in to that location, the already existing neighbors might have felt exactly as you do right now. New localities are always full of activity. I don't think there is any place in cities when we can relax unless there is every inch is taken up. My area was peaceful 5 years ago, now it is home to some big real estate ventures. Roads are in bad shape, are being dug every now and then. Apart from getting frustrated once in a while, there is very little we can do.

[Miyata]

On the bright side, Bangaloreans do not need to plan any separate off-roading activities - it's built into our everyday driving!

Could you ask for a more fun / happening life?

[saikarthik]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

I think we are all part of the problem, aren't we? Before you moved in to that location, the already existing neighbors might have felt exactly as you do right now. Apart from getting frustrated once in a while, there is very little we can do.

Yup, agreed. As I mentioned, just penned down the frustration and also most of them seems avoidable IF the govt. departments co-ordinate a bit.

Originally Posted by Miyata

On the bright side, Bangaloreans do not need to plan any separate off-roading activities - it's built into our everyday driving!

Could you ask for a more fun / happening life?

That's one way to look at it with a positive attitude

[Bibendum90949]

I happened to drive a lot in various parts of Bangalore city in the last couple of months. The garden city has become a debris city now. It's turned into a big dust bowl. Except few areas in CBD, it's the same sad story at most places. Now BBMP elections are nearing, things would start to change dramatically, albeit for the short term.

https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...polls-7711902/

With Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections scheduled in 2022, the Karnataka government approved grants and projects worth Rs 6,000 crore under Amruth Nagarothana scheme, marking 75 years of Indian Independence.

[nik0502]

Hi Saikaarthik,

You are absolutely right about the things you have mentioned. I live in NCR in somewhat similar area however the roads in my area have been flawless for last few years but the problem I see every day is far bigger. My area is surrounded by farms and villages. The villagers got huge money when their land was acquired. Now these villagers don’t have to work for money and they are always engaged in illegal activities. They eve tease the females. Fight with local businesses entities. The other day 3 boys were threatening a super market owner that they will catch him and beat him up the moment he steps out of his store and walks towards his car. All this because he refused to give them a discount of 66/- on a purchase of 566. Stupid people don’t even understand that billing and discount is supposed to be in the system. They are not scared of the Police since most of the neighbouring police stations have people employed from their villages only. Also people who had bigger land got huge money and they have joined politics and have become MLAs etc. so law doesn’t bother these people and I am always worried about the safety of the females in the house.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by Miyata

On the bright side, Bangaloreans do not need to plan any separate off-roading activities - it's built into our everyday driving!

Could you ask for a more fun / happening life?

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

I happened to drive a lot in various parts of Bangalore city in the last couple of months. The garden city has become a debris city now. It's turned into a big dust bowl. Except few areas in CBD, it's the same sad story at most places. Now BBMP elections are nearing, things would start to change dramatically, albeit for the short term.

This was the state of my car after parking on the road side for couple of days bang in the center of Bangalore city. Pictures don't do justice but it was completely covered in dust. Surprising thing is there's no construction happening on that stretch.

[EV NXT]

The road leading to our apartment was properly relaid with broader roads, bottlenecks removed and good black topping. Within a couple of months of laying the road, which was just before the first lockdown started, they started digging up the roads to lay pipes!!

Now two years have passed, the pipes have been laid but the dug up roads are yet to be relaid. The question is who allows the roads to be dug up, for what reason and who decides when to relay the roads - not BBMP for sure but some contracts who make money. Bangalore has become a cesspool of corruption.

Fortunately don’t have to bear the bad roads as it’s WFH far away from Bangalore.

[Amrik Singh]

Originally Posted by nik0502

My area is surrounded by farms and villages. The villagers got huge money when their land was acquired. Now these villagers don’t have to work for money .

Coming into richess without adequate skills or vision, people fall off soon. Decades ago, land was acquired for IGI Airport from adjoining villages (Mehram Nagar in front of Terminal 1). The guys got money but ost lands. The best they could think of while retaining their houses was to start plying Taxi from Airport. Decades later, they are in the same profession which has declined throughout.
For expansion of NOIDA, land was acquired and compensation paid. The villagers blew away their money in fancy Cars and booze. When their money vanished, they started making noise for more compensation and disrupted the construction and harassed those who had got possession of apartments.
For Gurgaon or Gurugram now, the situation is no different. Land mafia in the guise of Property Dealers is created and so have the rival groups. Murders of rival gang members is a common thing now. While the top rung has joined Politics, the lower have got their patronage.
With new developments, the buildings are coming up while the society is going down.

[drt_rdr]

There's been constant construction activity in my street around my house for the past two years. Just when you think it's over and you can have some peace, someone else starts something up.

This is part of the price we have to pay if we don't spend the big bucks to settle in well established areas. Even then, as buildings get older, they tend to see additional constructions, remodelling, tear down and rebuilds... It doesn't stop.

Looking for a locality with new constructions, and settling down in a street where there are little to no vacant plots left seems to be the way to go if you want some peace.

[narayans80]

Construction activity, Manholes with all sorts of contraptions around, Craters and debris on roads are not developing area problems alone. The area I live turns 100 next year, has all of this.

There is one problem in old areas, that's not seen in the same vein in newer areas. It is Roadside parking.

[sandeepmohan]

I do not think any city in India is spared from his problem (Maybe Chandigarh). The environment we live in is dusty as is. Construction and road work makes it a lot worse.

This was one reason I held back moving to Whitefield (Bangalore) from Cox Town. Not that the latter was dust free. My car, bike will have a thin layer of dust on it in one day, even when there is no construction work in the vicinity.

Tender Sure was probably the first attempt in Bangalore City to design and build roads where you would not have to strip everything out again in order to access cables, pipes and what not. I am not sure if they have stuck to that promise.

Its unfortunate. There are no process or systems in place. Who ever wants to dig, digs up the road and putting it back is not their problem. There is no liability on anyone, as a result of which, things are done or trashed as and where one feels.