PICTURE SPEAK

MERE DIRT: Sanitation levels in the metropolis have hit a new low

Since 1985 when Texas Instruments became the first MNC to set up a development centre in Bangalore, the metropolis has exploded beyond imagination. Almost 20 years later, while the industry thinks the city will grow further, the civic authorities are out to give an impression that Bangalore could be abandoned for a big piece of action in the rural hinterland. Infosys President Nandan Nilekani says, "Bangalore should not lose its brand equity because of poor infrastructure. All of us are concerned about the slowdown in development of infrastructure. We have raised this concern, but we must not compromise on the global brand that has been built over the years."

Singh says he is serious about retaining the image of Bangalore. The chief minister, who has 23 portfolios to look after thanks to the delay in cabinet expansion, is planning to put a minister in charge of the city development. "We will not let down the Bangalore brand as it is a global brand."

WOES AND WOES...

Growth explosion and unplanned development have led to frequent traffic jams. The IT hub is designed to take only three lakh vehicles, but there are four times the number now. Surveys say there has been a fall in the water table in the city. Result: erratic water supply. In most parts of the city, drinking piped water from the Cauvery comes at a big price. The state has a power shortage of 1,500 MW, which officials say may grow to between 3,000 and 4,000 MW in the next five years if the rapid growth rate continues. A study says air quality monitored at 15 hot spots showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) in most places to be around 296-categorised as "severely polluted". Narrow roads, not to mention the potholes, make it difficult for the two million registered vehicles to ply with speed, ease or safety. Consequently, 886 people died in traffic accidents last year.

Along with heavy traffic congestion, there is also high pollution. According to a Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)-Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) study, air quality monitored at 15 hot spots showed that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in most places was around 296 (categorised as "severely air polluted"). AQI is a measure of the ratio of the pollutant concentration to the standard concentration. The quantum of suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides present in the air are used to arrive at the AQI. Says Professor C.E.G. Justo, a well-known expert on roads: "The width of the roads is far below the standard width in big cities. New Delhi has three-plus-three lanes or two-plus-two lanes on its arterial roads. In Bangalore, this exists in very short stretches and are inadequate. We can neither restrict the increase in vehicles nor continue to expand the roads to accommodate them. What is required is an effective public transport system, which will replace the major load of two-wheelers on the roads."

Admits Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) Commissioner Jothiramalingam: "One of the biggest problems is congestion. We are still grappling with this problem. Not just the traffic, but flooding of storm water drains too poses a great menace."

With BCC virtually on the brink of a disaster-the mayor has only promised action and has not delivered at all-it has become the lot of the ordinary citizens to fend for themselves. Like the way V. Parthasarathy, a former Railways chief engineer, did. On November 14, he galvanised the residents of the J.P. Nagar, 7th phase area, to fill potholes in their area. He said that the stretch between Ring Road and Kothanur was unbearable. "Some potholes were as deep as 2 ft. It was a nightmare for motorists. Even school buses have got stuck in the potholes. It cost me Rs 2,500. When other residents saw me doing this, they offered to share the expenses," he says. In the busy Lingarajapuram area, the bcc sat on a 800 m flyover for two years, until residents came out in the open and summoned the Bangalore mayor: only then were things expedited. The flyover was finally opened for public use in November this year.

"We will not let down the Bangalore brand since it is an international brand." DHARAM SINGH, CHIEF MINISTER

Says Bhakta Reddy, a city-based businessman: "Hyderabad's first priority was building world-class infrastructure, laying the foundation for broadband networks, implementing e-governance initiatives aimed at streamlining India's notorious bureaucracy and amending existing legislation to make it easier for newcomer companies to set up shop." He adds that in five years the Andhra capital would have established itself as a leading information-based society. As for Bangalore, he regrets that "even repairing a crack holding up traffic on Old Madras Road would surely take several weeks."

Now you know what is missing in action in Bangalore: dynamism.

RELATED STORIES:

Bangalore: Time Traveller

Bnagalore International Airport: On The Runway

Bangalore: Romancing the Retro

Bangalore: Raising Voices

Index