Parking and Noise Pollution-A Major Problem for Commercial Complexes in Residential Areas
Major problems that are common to commercial complexes in Residential areas are parking and noise pollution. The worst affected are Jayanagar, Koramangala and Indiranagar, and parts of Sadashivanagar. Cars and two-wheelers are parked along the streets, and kick up dust and noise all day long. Elderly residents are also concerned about safety as strangers roam the streets late into the night.
According to N Mukund, a member of Citizens’ Action Forum, commercial complexes that have come up in Jayanagar 4th and 5th Blocks do not have basement parking. So vehicles are parked all along roads and traffic is high. He pointed that on the basis of the new Comprehensive Development Plan, licences are issued based on the width of the road but the authorities do not inspect the area. There is no consultation with the traffic police either, on the management of vehicle flow to these zones.
J S Nathan, a resident of Koramangala for the past 25 years, lives near Jyoti Nivas College, which has turned into a restaurant hub. “Koramangala used to be an old township but now it is one of the worst places to live in because of huge traffic and so many commercial complexes coming up. Unlike Malleswaram or Basavanagudi, here the culture is very different and elderly citizens find it very tough. However, there is a positive side too. Real estate rates have soared,” he said.
In Indiranagar, restaurants and commercial complexes are becoming a burden on the sewer lines. New shops and even big restaurants have the same water and sewer lines.The lines are designed for residential areas and since there is huge pressure from commercial establishments, the sewer lines get clogged.
Urban planning expert Vivek menon says, Zoning can be one of the solutions. Zoning in residential areas is done in most cities across the world. But according to experts, we do not have zoning in Bangalore. The CDP was made but in that, commercial zones seem to fall right on the residential areas, which means there was no assessment done before opening up space for commercialization.
Here, water and power shortage are bound to happen, so the authorities should now look at the new CMCs where changes can be accommodated. A public practice group of urban planning experts, engineers and infrastructure experts has been formed to advise the government on these issues. Corruption in BBMP and ill-equipped planners are also leading to mindless commercialization in these zones.
According to Ashwin Mahesh, urban expert & abide member, not everybody is against commercialize their properties. The solution is to commercialize properties but in a way that it’s curtailed to your property limits and does not affect others. Commercialization in residential zones must be restricted to smaller activities and larger enterprises should be moved to the main roads that are at least 60-80 feet wide. Mixed use on the same property should not be allowed.
RK Misra, urban expert says local planning can be one of the solution. “It is a fundamental problem with the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP). They just look at the width of road and mark it commercial. Local area planning is needed, that looks at the basic composition of the residential areas. Big roads is not the criteria. Secondly, the needs and views of the citizens of the area must also be taken into consideration. Indiranagar 100 Feet Road and 12th Main, and Koramangala are perfect examples. Sadashivnagar main road is not commercialized though it’s wide, as it houses prominent ministers and citizens.”
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