Bengaluru: Residents of northeast Bengaluru’s OMBR Layout have opposed Greater Bengaluru Authority’s plan to set up a dedicated market for street vendors on a vacant plot opposite Banaswadi fire station.Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda inspected the site Tuesday and instructed officials of Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) to expedite the work. However, locals said they were not consulted before the site was finalised and urged the minister to consider alternative locations.In a written representation submitted during the minister’s visit, residents said the proposed market, along with a public toilet planned on the same plot, could result in traffic congestion, noise, garbage accumulation, and foul odour in the residential neighbourhood. “We’ve been living here for three or four decades. The minister should not take a unilateral decision to build the market here. When we approached him today about the toilet, he asked me to give up my plot. This is very disappointing,” said A Menezes, a resident. She said her late father had been allotted the site under the army quota for his service during the World Wars.Residents also raised concerns about the stormwater drain adjoining the site. “This was vacant land with a stormwater drain next to it, on which a lot of money was spent for redevelopment. If a market comes up, rotten vegetables could be disposed of in the drain, leading to blockage and flooding during rain,” a resident said.Nirmal Anthony, another long-time resident, suggested that vacant land across the road, near the fire station, could instead be considered for the market. “None of the corporation officials discussed the plan with us. The stormwater drain is already notorious for flooding near the main road. This project will worsen the condition,” he said.Hridesh Harinarayanan, another local, said the written representation had been signed by 72 residents. “We’re also planning to start an online petition to get more people to oppose the proposed market,” he said.An assistant executive engineer from BNCC, present at the site, said the proposed market could accommodate around 60 vendors. She added that the plot had earlier been used by unauthorised persons for storing and transferring construction materials, including jelly stones.
