Commuters and pedestrians hit as drain water swamps road to Jakkur

BENGALURU: Riding or walking has become a heart-in-the-mouth predicament for thousands of Bengalureans who use Dasarahalli Main Road to reach Jakkur-Yelahanka from Manyata Tech Park on Outer Ring Road . Reason: Nearly 400 metres of the stretch has been submerged with sewagelaced water, which has been overflowing from a stormwater drain nearby.

While bikers are forced to do acrobatics by riding with their legs pointing towards the sky, pedestrians are seen ducking to avoid water from splashing on them whenever a car zooms past. “The stretch has been in a pathetic condition for the past one month and civic authorities have turned a blind eye to the mess. It’s mostly used by techies from north Bengaluru,” said Srilatha N, a data analyst and regular commuter.

What’s worse, water level on the road rose to almost three feet after it rained on Monday night. It even gushed into residential complexes nearby. When TOI visited the road on Tuesday morning, residents said they were fed up of complaining to the authorities. Locals and motorists alleged the water laced with sewage, which flows from Amruthahalli and Sahakarnagar, ends up on the road in front of Rachenahalli Lake.

Shivakumar, a resident of Jakkur and employee of a chocolate company, recounted: “I was riding back home from Nagawara on Monday night and my scooter got stuck in the water. I had to get off and push it for a few hundred metres. It was a nightmare.”

‘Stench a big put-off’

Rayanna, manager of a small hotel on the road, said: “Due to the stench on the waterlogged road, customers don’t feel like eating here. For about a month, it has been filled with filthy water. BWSSB and BBMP officials visit just to have a look at it and leave. We hope action is taken soon.” Security guard Nagaraj Nayak said: “Bikers are at the receiving end as their vehicles stop in the middle of the road. Fights break out when cars splash water on them.”

Residents alleged that civic agencies don’t both to respond whenever it rains. “We are maintaining our own pumps to remove water that enters our building. My apartment complex is exposed to this filth and I feel helpless. Children in the vicinity are falling sick by breathing in the polluted air,” said a resident who identified himself as Reddy.