Owing to the worsening condition of roads in Bengaluru, especially following the monsoon, residents of Whitefield in Bangalore came out in the streets for a protest march on Monday. Whitefield is one of the first major IT suburbs in the city and contributed significantly in making Bengaluru the 'Silicon Valley of India'. Residents also claim that in Greater Bengaluru the suburb is among the highest tax-payers. In many ways, the image of the crumbling infrastructure in the suburb is representative of the increasing civic issues in Bengaluru.
The protests come after every other way to draw attention of the civic authorities to the poor civic infrastructure failed, according to the protesters.
Potholes are a major issue on roads in Whitefield and adjoining areas, and along with poor traffic management, the residents of the areas claim they have been pushed into protesting on the streets.
Incessant rain throughout the month of November aggravated the already deplorable condition of roads in the area. People using two-wheelers for commuting were the greatest victim of this menace.
“This protest is for the children who are stuck for long hours in their school buses, the farmers who can’t get their produce to the market, the auto-wallahs and cabbies who have bear huge repairing costs, small-business owners and corporate employees,” Zibi Jamale of resident welfare group told TNIE.
The protesters demand that the government levels and tar 30 critical roads, fix and barricade footpaths on all main roads, increase traffic cop presence by three times to book defaulters, enforce restricted hours on non-Karnataka trucks diverted through these roads, ensure no buses are parked on streets, clear the garbage and stop indiscriminate approvals for construction.
PC: Nisanth S Sasidharan
PC: Ranjitha Praseed
PC: Ranjitha Praseed
PC: Vaibhav Tripathi
PC: Vandana Viswanathan
Protesters from Nallurahalli area near Whitefield, WFRising/ Twitter
PC: Trushang Shah
PC: Vikas Narnoly
PC: Awanish Gautam
Huge crowds at Graphite, Forum, KTPO, Vydehi #SaveWhitefield @saffrontrail pic.twitter.com/htzDDkjxlR
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) November 30, 2015
Folks already gathering from multiple points. #KTPO #SaveWhitefield pic.twitter.com/ybOQbeYGJB
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) November 30, 2015
#Savewhitefield @OfficeOfRG @bbmpadmn @thekjgeorge @WFRising @CMofKarnataka if this doesn't shame you into action?!! pic.twitter.com/qAbwNlhtLL
— vaijayanthi (@Vaijbhat) November 30, 2015