No way. That’s what I said when they raised the matter in April last. They are at it again, kite-flying the idea, with a news item that the Mysore civic body’s standing committee on town planning and development has given approval to a pedestrian subway opposite the city bus stand. No blueprint has been prepared. Nor has the cost estimate been worked out. Maybe there is some other basis on which our standing committee gives project approval.
Anyway, a subway, to my mind, is one way we can start heading the ‘Bangalore-way’, in terms of smell, squalor, and the snarls of a big city. To be sure, this wouldn’t be the only subway Mysore would have, if our city corporation is allowed to have its way.
A city subway brings to mind trash and litter, patches of dirt and stain on the flooring and subway walls, and stench (if our sanitation and conservation staff go on strike as routinely as they do). Hawkers and beggers find a subway the most convenient place for business. Well-lit to start with, a subway tends, before long, to have the bulbs stolen and electrical fittings vandalized. Waterlogging wouldn’t be uncommon in a subway after sharp showers.
Our civic body, I gather, is justifiably concerned about traffic congestion. Subway is a solution, if we don’t count the maintenance problems a subway creates. But then, I reckon, our civic body has another standing committee to address problems arising out of creating a subway.
(Click here for the item: ‘A subway? No way’)
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1 comment:
Once again, a hairbrained scheme from our city planners! I agree, the subway will also be used as a smelly toilet. There are some subways in Bangalore that people generally ignore and go across the road, jumping over road dividers. I've seen lots of people jumping the high road divider running parallel to the Devaraja Market on Sayyaji Rao Road. People shun subways for a number of reasons. As mentioned by GVK, it becomes a haven for hawkers, other undesirables, mini toilet and hence smelly and also because our people are always looking for a shortcut! While constructing this sub way, the road is going to get even more congested and the project could get delayed due to paucity of funds and all we'll be left with at the end, is, perhaps a big hole! Another eyesore in the middle of Mysore!
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