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Bangalore's poor infrastructure may cost the city its international identity, warns M.K.D. Prasada Rao
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GROSS NEGLECT M.K.D. Prasada Rao: `Footpaths are dug up and simply forgotten about'
I have always been fascinated by Bangalore. I used to envy the citizens of this Cantonment city as they are in "pensioner's paradise and a garden city." I got my first chance to visit the city in 1979 on an official visit and had stayed in Kumar Krupa Government Guest House. Thereafter, I had many occasions to visit the city on work.
During the last year I have spent more time in the city and there is a distinct possibility of the stays getting longer, which has prompted me to look at the city anew and write this piece.
Several aspects of the civic services make me feel that, like the curate's egg, Bangalore is only good in parts.
The State had a forward-looking Maharaja, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar of Mysore who encouraged and honoured people like M. Visvesvaraya and Sir Mirza Ismail, pioneers in planning.
Dismal condition
But the present is a far cry from those days. While within the old city limits there does not appear to be much scope for expansion, what is surprising is the city administration's reluctance to maintain roads. Many roads are narrow, pot-holed and crying for attention. Footpaths, in most areas, are not only indistinct, but also dug up and forgotten about. They are also encroached upon. The way auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers drive — fast and recklessly — it is surprising that there are no speed limits for such vehicles. The traffic police seems inadequate, with a hesitant approach to control speeding vehicles.
The bus service is laughable and one is forced to depend on autos to commute. Auto drivers demand hefty fares to go to far-flung places, and if you travelling after 9.30 p.m, the fare becomes an arbitrary affair.
The cost of living is high when compared to other metros. House rents are high — for a single room house you need to part with Rs. 6,000 apart from the 10 months' rent as advance. I do not think every young man is a techie with a fat salary to pay such sums towards housing.
For a Cantonment city, it is strange the roads surrounding military establishments present a shabby picture. But I should admit that even though one dreads travelling by autos, one still loves the well-maintained gardens and parks and pleasant weather.
Much at stake
For good maintenance of the city, the Indian version of the Silicon Valley, the excuse of inadequate resources does not wash. What little infrastructure is there needs to be well maintained.
After all, with so many reputed academic institutions engaged in advanced scientific endeavours and many strategic establishments located here, the civic administration has a duty to keep the city attractive just as the government is expected to ensure that the capital of the State is, at all times, spruced up to retain its pride of place among the country's major metros.
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bangaloremetro@thehindu.co.in or post it to MetroPlus, The Hindu, 19 & 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road (Infantry Road), Bangalore 1.
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