Remains of a public toilet in Lingarajpuram

BANGALORE: Neighboured by Banaswadi and Kamanahalli, Lingarajapuram is a locality known for the small but commendable steps that it has been taking towards development. The change in the general backdrop from being called an untidy area to one of the progressive flyovers in the city, Lingarajapuram has come a long way. But a recent inconvenience in the area has led to it taking a huge step backwards.The demolition of a pay and use toilet in the area has brought along with it a list of hassles that require immediate attention. There lays debris strewn all over the road as though recovering from a war or representing ruins of an ancient civilisation. Overflowing onto the road, it puts pedestrians, literally, with no where to go. While the destruction seems to be undertaken quite mercilessly, one could possibly wonder about the loss that it has cost the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).In addition to this, adjacent to the demolition, garbage lays unattended to in heaps. Scavengers scrounge for food. People are forced to avoid the road due to the unbearable stink it brings with it. Residents say that it lies there with no action from the authorities for several days together. A resident of the area, on the condition of anonymity, added that the rains worsen matters largely. The stench exemplifies itself and the garbage makes its way onto the road leaving people with no choice but to stick to the other side of the road.  The lack of footpaths leads to people getting down on the road fighting their way through the traffic in order to reach their destination. The rubble is also perilous as the sharp edges and stone blocks goes unnoticed until one is in close proximity to the road.  Mariyam, a passerby, said, ”I need to walk the road regularly in order to catch a bus to college. But walking with the stench and debris is dreadful. What doesn’t help is the fact that with no pavements, I need to keep looking back to see if there’s any vehicle approaching.”Ganiappa, a resident, remarked, “We see the metro coming up and we think that the city is making development. But the state of affairs here just seem to be getting from bad to worse. We do not condemn the demolition but a more careful and systematic approach towards it could have been taken.”It is not just the residents that seem to be struggling. The motorists say that they too have not been spared. The remains on the road are quite dangerous and sometimes end up in minor skids.The assistant engineer of the area, Yelappa Reddy, said he did not know of the matter. He added, “I will look into it tomorrow.”