Kadugodi Improvement Project
Clean work – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 11 October 2014
Clean work
We did It! That was the feeling that joyously kept overflowing in our mind at around 2pm last Saturday.
While boarding on the plane to Bangalore from Abu Dhabi for Eid holidays, I had set some clear plans to act upon my arrival there.
Prior to my departure, I had messaged friends and well-wishers through email and social media about the cleaning of a highly-used pedestrian over bridge built an year ago over the Whitefield Railway crossing.
It was built after a Herculean media and public effort to highlight the difficulties and dangers of people getting killed often while crossing dangerously. Once built, the scenario changed. As any other public utility items, no one cared for it.
A handful of us, including my family and close friends, started the campaign at around 9am.
Not used to such acts, we had no idea how it would progress. However, we were prepared with brooms, garbage bags, gloves, cleaning clothes, bleaching powder, and other necessary items. We kept few brooms here and there on the stretch that anyone interested could join us.
As we progressed, Anand Sivaram, Manager of the Whitefield Railway Station and his staff joined us as also a few members of Kadugodi Police Station.
It was indeed an experience of a special kind.
We received “Thank you”, “Good Job” and also Thumbs up signs from many people who used the bridge during the time we were cleaning.
It was nice to see unknown people readily volunteering and taking the broom from our side and do cleaning work for some time. As a coin has two sides, there were those who passing negative comments too!
At the end of our effort, we landed up with 8 huge garbage bags full of leaves and other carelessly thrown away items on the sky walk. A sad thing was that that people who saw us cleaning and progressing ahead, walked further and threw paper and other waste without any civic concern.
Everyone should contribute to the welfare of the community, wherever we are.
Ramesh Menon
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Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 11 October 2014
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For all my readers:
(If you enjoyed reading this post and wish to subscribe to my blog, please go to the left hand side and choose the last ‘box’ which says subscribe. Also explore the many ‘previous articles’ listed month-wise on the links above on the left side of the blog. Share the posts with your friends through Facebook, Twitter or other accounts using the buttons below each post. Thank you and best regards – Ramesh Menon
Overflowing toilets – a serious hygiene issue at Kadugodi Bus Station.
Overflowing toilets – a serious hygiene issue at Kadugodi Bus Station.
On Saturday, 4th October 2014, a few of us came out with a plan to clean up the Kadugodi Pedestrian Over Bridge. It is almost a year since this structure became a reality. As regular users and also concerned community members, we were worried by the amount of waste materials being dumped on it. Added to it, the roof of the connecting side of the bridge to the railway station was heavily dumped with falling leaves, thrown away food and plastic materials.
It was an effort carried out by only few of us but we made sure the objective was well achieved.
A huge support was extended from the Whitefield Railway Station Manager, Mr. Anand Sivaram and his staff.
However, carrying out the cleaning campaign, we were shocked to observe an extremely serious hygiene issue.
At the side of the bridge connecting the BMTC station, we found, heavy leakage and clogging from the toilets of the bus station. As you may see from the photo attached, it was extremely disturbing site to see.
Checking with the Railway Station Manager, we found that, repeated plea from Railways to cement the leakage has been ignored and have seen no favorable action from BMTC side till now.
With frequent rain and with the waste accumulate increasing by each passing day; the situation is turning to a serious hygiene issue for public. There are many cases of dengue and other diseases getting reported and this will be another reason for spreading such cases.
It has to be noted that more than 10,000 people use the sky bridge for reaching the bus or railway station every day.
Thinking more about it, I now find the reason why I get to see BMTC drivers and conductors relieving themselves on the road. The male staff can get away like that. But, what about the female staff? Where do they go, if the facilities are not properly maintained and managed?!
Organisations like BMTC should act proactively for the welfare of the public and their staff.
I humbly request BMTC Management through the office of BMTC MD, Dr. Ekroop Caur, IAS, to consider urgent repair of the toilets at Kadugodi BMTC station and plug the leaks and work hand in hand with Railway authorities to avoid any hygiene issues.
Sincere regards,
Ramesh Menon
Additional reading:
Thank you – Kadugodi Pedestrian Overbridge Cleaning Campaign
For all my readers:
(If you enjoyed reading this post and wish to subscribe to my blog, please go to the left hand side and choose the last ‘box’ which says subscribe. Also explore the many ‘previous articles’ listed month-wise on the links above on the left side of the blog. Share the posts with your friends through Facebook, Twitter or other accounts using the buttons below each post. Thank you and best regards – Ramesh Menon
Need for increased "speed control measures" by BTP in Kadugodi area
The connecting road from Hoskote to Hope Farm area of Whitefield Bangalore has been relayed beautifully by the authorities.
The work has been done in such a way that the road till the Kadugodi Over Bridge is smooth and in a drivable condition.
There is a danger awaiting here at all times.
With the completion of the road work, the traffic has gained momentum in terms of speed. This includes the buses and heavy trucks.
A U-turn exists near the bridge making it easy for residents of nearby communities to cross over to the other side of the road.
However, the removal of a speed breaker that existed is now causing lot of inconvenience and near miss situations for the drivers to turn and proceed.
The bikes, trucks and buses are all in a hurry and neither stops nor reduce the speed!
Another serious danger of children from an apartment complex nearby crossing over the road to take their school bus. On either side, these vehicles never reduce the speed. Coming down the narrow bridge, the vehicles tend to speed and proceed. Going towards the bridge, the vehicles compete with each other to reach the bridge first!
It doesn’t end there. Many vehicles coming from the Hoskote side, take advantage of the U-turn and cut across wrongly and proceed towards the market side or residential communities located there. This is extremely dangerous and has to be immediately controlled.
I humbly request BTP on this serious safety issue and resolve it by:
– Having appropriate reduce speed signage kept in this area.
– Having BTP patrol presence in the morning, especially when children go to school.
– Having increased BTP patrol presence, on first Sunday of the month where a regular function is held at Sai Vrindavan Ashram and heavy traffic and people movement happens.
– Kindly reroute the heavy trucks from this road and using the bridge, which causes regular traffic blocks.
Accidents have to be averted by taking necessary safety measures before and not after they have happened and valuable life lost.
Ramesh Menon
For all my readers:
(If you enjoyed reading this post and wish to subscribe to my blog, please go to the left hand side and choose the last ‘box’ which says subscribe. Also explore the many ‘previous articles’ listed month-wise on the links above on the left side of the blog. Share the posts with your friends through Facebook, Twitter or other accounts using the buttons below each post. Thank you and best regards – Ramesh Menon
Thank you – Kadugodi Pedestrian Overbridge Cleaning Campaign
Thank you – Kadugodi Pedestrian Overbridge Cleaning Campaign
Dear all,
Kadugodi Pedestrian Overbridge Cleaning Campaign – Saturday, 4th October 2014
We Did It! Thanks to the support of all those who volunteered, we did a campaign to clean the pedestrian overbridge at Kadugodi, Whitefield Bangalore. Starting at 09:30, it took us 3:30 hours to complete the job. Sincere thanks to Amit Das, Jayanth Bhat, Deepika Jayanth Bhat, Rajashree Menon and Suraj Menon. Of course, a respectable mention and thanks to Sri Anand Sivaram, Manager, Whitefield Railway Station and staff of Kadugodi Police Station.
It was an experience of a special kind. We received “Thank you”, “Good Job” and also Thumbs up sign from many who used the bridge during the time we were cleaning. It was nice to see some unknown people, readily volunteering and took the broom from our side and did cleaning for some time and then continuing to their work. As a coin has two sides, there were those who passing negative comments!.
It is just a beginning only.
Now, we need a few things in place:
1. BBMP support to keep the area neat and clean and fine those who post notices or flex boards on it.
2. If BBMP cannot maintain the bridge, a provision to handover it to the Railways, who are willing to keep the area safe and clean. (item 1 and 2 are my next objective).
3. About 20 dust bins to be kept on each corners of it (if anyone interested to volunteer and provide – welcome – need your help – any volunteers!).
4. During the campaign, I happened to discover a bigger issue issue that is happening in the area, which is not known to many. The toilets of the BMTC bus station are overflowing. BMTC are not listening to Railways requests to plug this problem. It will be an additional item in my agenda to get this hygiene issue resolved.
Temporary arrangement has been done to keep the area neat and clean for the time being on a daily basis. But permanent solution is what I am searching for with the co-operation of BBMP, Railways and BMTC.
Once again, thanks to all of you who supported, blessed us to take up this initiative.
Now, not as a challenge – but as an initiative – Are you interested to take up a similar campaign in your neighbourhood? If so, kindly share this and spread the word around. If a small team comprising few of us could try and do it, I am sure; you can definitely do it in a better way.
Sincere thanks,
Ramesh Menon
Saturday, 4th October 2014, Kadugodi, Whitefield, Bangalore
Need for Speed Breakers before Kadugodi Over Bridge
The connecting road from Hoskote to Hope Farm area of Whitefield Bangalore has been relayed beautifully by the authorities. The work has been done in such a way that the road till the Kadugodi Over Bridge is smooth and in a normal drivable condition as any other standard road. However, this is only on one side. The opposite side of the road still has patches done on a temporary basis that a heavy rain followed by a few heavy trucks can bring it back to the old dangerous condition.
The danger here is not any of these. With the completion of the road work, the traffic has gained momentum in terms of speed. This includes the buses and heavy trucks. A U-turn exists near the bridge making it easy for residents of nearby communities to cross over to the other side of the road. However, the removal of a speed breaker that existed is now causing lot of inconvenience and nearby situations for the drivers to turn and proceed. The bikes, trucks and buses are all in a hurry and neither stop nor reduce the speed!. There is also another serious danger of children from an apartment complex nearby crossing over the road to take their school bus.
Hope, the responsible authorities open their eyes immediately on this serious HSE issue and resolve it by a standard and non-life threatening speed breaker before the U-Turn.
There is one more activity that has to be noted and actions to be taken to avoid dangers and inconvenience to traffic. It is the use of this road by heavy trucks. Many times they breakdown on the bridge causing traffic delays. Control measures have to be made to keep these trucks away from this road till Hope Farm area.
There is one more activity that has to be noted and actions to be taken to avoid dangers and inconvenience to traffic. It is the use of this road by heavy trucks. Many times they breakdown on the bridge causing traffic delays. Control measures have to be made to keep these trucks away from this road till Hope Farm area.
Accidents have to be averted by taking necessary safety measures before and not after they have happened and valuable life lost.
Ramesh Menon
15 September 2014