Civic neglect force Bengaluru traders near Town Hall to relocate | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: After working for decades in the electronics and hardware markets near Bengaluru’s Town Hall, traders are relocating due to deteriorating civic conditions on Silver Jubilee Park (SJP) Road and SP Road.The area, known for its bustling commercial activity, faces multiple challenges including poor drainage, inadequate parking, and unsanitary conditions that are driving away both businesses and customers.Rahul Goyal, a trader on SP Road, identified drainage as a primary concern. “The main issue on one side of the road is unclean drain. Being on a slope, all the rainwater from KG Road comes onto this road. Along with it comes the silt and muck, which is barely being cleaned,” he said.The drainage problems are compounded by parking chaos. Though technically designated for single-lane parking, the road accommodates three to four rows of vehicles, combined with street vendors blocking access to shops. “There are a few lorries and old cars, which have been parked permanently on this road, forcing other vehicles to park in front of them,” another trader said.C Ravindra Aradhya, a trader on SJP Road, said: “We are staying there doing business in spite of so many hurdles. We have waterlogging throughout the year because of the drainage system. No cleanliness is maintained. We don’t have parking. Even consumers find it painful to park their vehicle and come to our shops.”The situation forces business owners to park on footpaths and frequently, move vehicles to accommodate customers. “If the customer comes, I have to remove my vehicle and allow that customer to park. No customers are coming here… a lot of them have moved their shops from here,” Aradhya said.Adjacent parks stretching from Town Hall Circle to Jamia Masjid present additional challenges. Despite three public toilets, the parks are frequently used for open urination, creating unsanitary conditions and deterring legitimate use. “We here don’t even like to invite our family members to our shops. How do we expect our customers to come visit our shops?” he added.The parks, considered unsafe even during the day due to antisocial activities, feature broken grills allowing unauthorised access when gates are closed.Traders are proposing that civic authorities convert the underutilised parks into structured parking zones whilst preserving existing trees. “We want BBMP to see if, without cutting a single tree, these parks can be turned into organised parking space,” Goyal said.Amit, another SP Road trader, said: “There is plenty of space. Remove the non-functioning fountains, footpaths and benches and make proper multi-level parking. Even two-wheelers are struggling to survive there.”A south zone BBMP engineer acknowledged the challenges, noting area’s proximity to the densely populated KR Market. “We recently, with the help of traffic police, towed all vehicles and cleaned the road and cleared the silt. We are finding and patrolling for those urinating on the streets but we are unable to control it due to floating population,” the official said. The engineer cited the road’s low elevation contributing to water stagnation issues and said they’d consider alternative solutions to improve the conditions.
