The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Unbearable stench engulfs Coffee Board Layout

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 31, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Unbearable stench engulfs Coffee Board Layout

Staff Reporter

Residents forced to use a thin slab across the drain as a footbridge

A GINGERLY TREK: Residents of Coffee Board Layout depend on this slab to cross the open drain.

BANGALORE: For the past six months, residents of the Coffee Board Layout near Hebbal have had to face a stink as a major portion of the slab covering the sewerage between Yogesh Nagar and Netaji Nagar broke.

All that remains is a thin slab, which is used as a sort of a footbridge.

Coffee Board Layout Residents Association secretary Hari Kanniah says the area has become "unliveable.'

"A foul smell permeates the air all around Yogesh Nagar and Netaji Nagar. Even when we close all the windows, the smell is too much," he says.

Foul smell

Apart from the foul smell, the residents have to deal with a swarm of mosquitoes and piles of garbage flowing through the sewage.

"A lot of children in the area have taken ill recently," he adds.

The slab broke after heavy rains last year, says Mr. Kanniah. The slab has become weak, thanks to the volume of traffic.

"Cars and motorcycles were using the slab," he says. The Coffee Board Layout is a Bangalore Development Authority approved residential colony that was formed in 1990. It can be approached either through Bellary Road or Outer Ring Road.

Mr. Kanniah says for the past year residents have been appealing to the Commissioner of Byataranyapura City Municipal Corporation to replace the slab covering the drain.

Commissioner C.K. Dashwant said that he was aware of the problem and had taken steps to replace the slab.

"We will start work in the area after Ugadi," he said.

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