All it takes is a walk in the mud in Hongasandra

BANGALORE: Life in 1st cross Band Box road, Hongasandra, a locality near Madiwala has not been a bed of roses. The lack of basic amenities and infrastructure has made life miserable for the people residing there. Hongasandra falls under the jurisdiction of Bomanahalli. Even though the MLA for Bommanahalli constituency lives around the area, the locality is still in a sad state of affair.Mud roads, lack of streetlights and water shortage are some of the problems that the residents have to face on a daily basis. The roads here are low lying and as a result they flood during the rains. The absence of rain water drains also adds to their woes. A resident on the condition of anonymity said, “We find it difficult to get our vehicles out of our parking due to all the slush that collects soon after the rains. We have been suffering like this for five years now.”When City Express tried contacting the MLA to enquire about the development plans for the area, his personal assistant revealed that the MLA is aware of the condition of the roads and that the tender has been passed for it and the work will commence shortly. He also added that the delay has been caused by the contractor and that he has been given an ultimatum by the MLA. Ramesh another resident said that the area also lacks streetlights. “First of all there are no proper roads, The rain adds to the misery and the absence of streetlights makes life that much harder. Chances of tripping on  a stone or potholes are very high. Also as there are no lights on the road, it also gives miscreant the opportunity to carry on with their anti-social activities.”He also added that the drainage system in the area is very poorly organised. While the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board had laid the pipes for the drainage, the pipes have not yet been connected the the main chamber. Both the assistant executive engineer (AEE) and the executive engineer (EE) for the area are ‘almost clueless’ about the problems faced by the resident in Hongasandra.When questioned about the shortage in drinking water, Junaid, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike AEE for the area said that the residents were provided with Cauvery water. “We are providing them with Cauvery water. But unfortunately I am not aware of the timings for the water supply,” he added.The lackadaisical attitude of the officials have left the residents without any hope. They further complained that the local corporator for the area, Sukanda, has not visited the ward since the elections took place. The corporator was unavailable for comments.