Bengaluru: Anger over the death of 32-year-old Medha Akarsh spilled onto the streets of Ananthnagar Thursday as hundreds of residents gathered to demand a safe and motorable road.A day after residents staged vocal protests in the south Bengaluru locality, nearly 1,000 people assembled near Venkataramana temple for a meeting with officials of the Hebbagodi city municipal council (CMC). But the meeting ended in frustration, with residents maintaining that officials offered no immediate solutions and instead, walked away amid angry protests.The residents said the officials informed them that complete restoration of the road could take another three years because of the ongoing Cauvery water supply project.“It has already been more than five years since we started demanding accountability. Now they are asking us to wait for three more years. People shouted at the officials because there was no concrete solution,” resident Prabhu P said.The residents insisted they are not asking for anything extraordinary other than a road that can be safely used. “We cannot continue waiting for three more years. All we demand is basic infrastructure. Even if they level the road now, it turns into slush every time it rains. We also wanted the MLA to meet us, but he did not turn up,” said Abhishek G, another resident.The protesters pointed out that the roads remain choked with dust during summer and slush during monsoon, making commuting hazardous. Besides poor roads, they highlighted the absence of footpaths and streetlights across the locality.In a memorandum submitted to CMC, the residents said the deteriorating roads have led to frequent accidents, health problems and daily hardship for thousands of commuters. They noted that the stretch is used every day by children attending 13 schools and 15 preschools, besides employees travelling towards Sarjapur, Marathahalli and Whitefield.“The Fruit Market Road, in particular, is in a highly dangerous condition and urgently requires attention. We request the authorities to immediately lay new roads and ensure the safety of residents, schoolchildren and commuters,” Abhishek said.Local civic activist Sophia Sebastian said accidents have become routine in the area. “Heavy vehicles and tankers ply on these roads throughout the day. Just two or three months ago, several people were injured and children suffered fractures. Even after someone has lost her life, there is still no end to the civic mess,” she said.Rajendra BL, commissioner of Hebbagodi CMC, said the Cauvery water supply project is a three-year exercise and permanent asphalting cannot be taken up immediately.“Within a week, all underground drainage work will be completed. The engineers have committed to it. We need another three to four months to restore the road properly; otherwise, it will sink again,” he told TOI.He added that officials have been directed to clear completed work zones and fill potholes within a week.Meanwhile, several residents who participated in Wednesday night’s and Thursday morning’s protests were reportedly detained by police for allegedly holding demonstrations without permission. The protesters maintained they had no option but to take to the streets after Medha’s death, saying the tragedy should finally compel the authorities to deliver the basic infrastructure they have been demanding for years.
