Driving down the narrow stretches at 10th Main can test one’s patience. The road at 6th cross is in a sorry state. Even walking on this stinking stretch, which connects to a slum in the ward, is a nightmare. Cows and dogs find place on the road, which has not been repaired in years. Residents of nearby areas have been using it as a cowshed for years, yet there seems to be no solution in sight.

The lack of a proper sewerage system compounds the problem, especially as the drain passes close to the houses. “Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu assured the residents that the road will be repaired but nothing has been done. We request the councillor to make this road usable at least by pedestrians,” complains a resident of the area. If the road were to be asphalted, it could have made life easier for the residents of the area and commuters, but the authorities do not seem to be concerned.

“Contractors are hand-in-glove with politicians and are looting money meant for public welfare and are doing sub-standard work. It is annoying that there is no initiative by the authorities concerned to make it a better place to live in,” says Mahadevan, who runs a business in the area.

A visit to the slum near CBI Road reveals the lack of planning and coordination by government agencies.

Retired KEB official Leelambika, who stays in a posh area, says that the ward is named after the river Ganga and has no water problem. “The residents’ associations are keen on addressing the problems of the people. The only problem that we are facing is the menace of stray dogs at night. We do not get sound sleep because of this,” she says.

According to councillor V Anand, most of the roads have been developed and there are very few problems in the area. “I am committed to working for the welfare of the people. To address the problems of the slum-dwellers, a project has been taken up to provide them with houses,” he says.