<p>At the Janaspandana-Citizens For Change event that Deccan Herald and Prajavani organised on Saturday in the Sunkenahalli ward (42), residents raised issues like lake encroachment, messed-up garbage collection and traffic congestion.</p>.<p>Corporator D N Ramesh fielded a wide array of questions from the locals who never shied away from pointing to the apathy of the officials in addressing the issues dogging the ward, which contains some of the city’s oldest residential settlements.</p>.<p>Many raised the encroachment of the Kempambudhi Lake in the three-hour event, echoing the concerns expressed by a resident,<br />Ravikumar B.</p>.<p>“Developing the remaining lake without recovering the land will shrink the catchment area and will make encroachment a normal (acceptable) thing,” he said.</p>.<p>Some residents referred to the Koliwad Committee report’s estimate that 3 acres and 34 guntas of the lake’s total area of 47 acres and 7 guntas have been encroached.</p>.<p>While the BBMP and private players have occupied 25 guntas of the lake, shanties have been built over one acre and 24 guntas. Ramesh vowed to take up the encroachment issue over the coming days.</p>.<p>A citizen, Arun Rajkumar, said the lake development should have provisions to educate visitors on Kempegowda’s contributions to the city.</p>.<p>Messy garbage collection</p>.<p>Many residents pointed out that the garbage collection process had broken down and black spots continued to come up in the ward.</p>.<p>Srinivas, a resident of Shankarpura, asked the corporator: “You had earlier said the Congress (party) was in power at the BBMP council and legislature. Now, the BJP is in power at all levels. When will you fix the problems?” Ramesh assured the residents that he will take personal interest in solving some of the persisting problems. “I’ve removed 25 black spots in the past four years,” he stressed. “But people continue to dump waste in public spaces.”</p>.<p>Residents from two areas complained about shoddy garbage collection. “While the BBMP asks us to segregate (dry and wet) garbage, the collectors come once in three or four days. This results in people dumping the waste in vacant sites,” said a resident, Subramanya. The corporator said the solid waste management division has a shortage of personnel. “Six of them have retired and three resigned. We’ll fill their places and take corrective measures,” he said.</p>
<p>At the Janaspandana-Citizens For Change event that Deccan Herald and Prajavani organised on Saturday in the Sunkenahalli ward (42), residents raised issues like lake encroachment, messed-up garbage collection and traffic congestion.</p>.<p>Corporator D N Ramesh fielded a wide array of questions from the locals who never shied away from pointing to the apathy of the officials in addressing the issues dogging the ward, which contains some of the city’s oldest residential settlements.</p>.<p>Many raised the encroachment of the Kempambudhi Lake in the three-hour event, echoing the concerns expressed by a resident,<br />Ravikumar B.</p>.<p>“Developing the remaining lake without recovering the land will shrink the catchment area and will make encroachment a normal (acceptable) thing,” he said.</p>.<p>Some residents referred to the Koliwad Committee report’s estimate that 3 acres and 34 guntas of the lake’s total area of 47 acres and 7 guntas have been encroached.</p>.<p>While the BBMP and private players have occupied 25 guntas of the lake, shanties have been built over one acre and 24 guntas. Ramesh vowed to take up the encroachment issue over the coming days.</p>.<p>A citizen, Arun Rajkumar, said the lake development should have provisions to educate visitors on Kempegowda’s contributions to the city.</p>.<p>Messy garbage collection</p>.<p>Many residents pointed out that the garbage collection process had broken down and black spots continued to come up in the ward.</p>.<p>Srinivas, a resident of Shankarpura, asked the corporator: “You had earlier said the Congress (party) was in power at the BBMP council and legislature. Now, the BJP is in power at all levels. When will you fix the problems?” Ramesh assured the residents that he will take personal interest in solving some of the persisting problems. “I’ve removed 25 black spots in the past four years,” he stressed. “But people continue to dump waste in public spaces.”</p>.<p>Residents from two areas complained about shoddy garbage collection. “While the BBMP asks us to segregate (dry and wet) garbage, the collectors come once in three or four days. This results in people dumping the waste in vacant sites,” said a resident, Subramanya. The corporator said the solid waste management division has a shortage of personnel. “Six of them have retired and three resigned. We’ll fill their places and take corrective measures,” he said.</p>