Pipes On Footpath, Pedestrians Beware

A stroll down the pavement on HAL Airport Road from the airport entrance to Wind Tunnel road has now turned into an obstacle course with pedestrians often being forced to step on to the road and risk their lives. 

Like any other footpath in Namma Bengaluru, this one too had its share of broken and unsteady slabs, is encroached upon and gets 'run over' by bikers during rush hour traffic. But now pedestrians have to contend with a far more formidable challenge – cement pipes. 

Civic authorities have piled up giant pipes, mostly in a pyramidal formation, each about 20 feet long and having two feet diameter. These pipes are lying at various stretches of the footpath and occupy most of the space.

Hence that leaves the pedestrians with no option but to step on to the road and risk their lives, especially during office hours when for the motorists every inch counts.

While approaching the garbage collection point near Kemp Fort, one has to gingerly negotiate through the garbage residue and hold the breath to endure the everlasting stench. It becomes more acute when porakarmikas go on strike or those residing near the city’s landfills rise in protest.

If you happen to pass by when the garbage collection is in progress, with garbage trucks and autos parked on the side, you will be forced to walk right in the middle of the road with Volvo buses, autos and bikers breathing down your necks.

Next in line comes a bus shelter, which often doubles up as a restroom for cows, reminding the bus commuters of their cattle class status.  

Like most squatters these pipes too seem to be in for a long haul. They have been lying for nearly a month and looks like the authorities have almost forgotten about it. 

The pipes have already gathered a fair share of standard waste matter found on Indian streets - cigarette packets, liquor bottles, plastic tea cups, paper wrappers, tetra packs and plastic bags. Unless the civic authorities pull up their socks, dogs and bandicoots may soon start calling these pipes their home.

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Power Transformers: Lurking Danger

Power outages at my house are rarely a quiet affair. They are often preceded by a loud thud from an electrical transformer located some 50 feet away from my flat. This squarish weather beaten, ageing and bulky metallic contraption perched on two rods on an electric post with numerous wires dangling around always exudes a sinister look. Sometimes from my balcony I do see sparks emanating from the transformer.

The condition of most transformers dotting the street corners and footpaths of the city is no different. Moreover, there is no protective fencing around most of them and these spots often degenerate into garbage dumping points. The fact that they are located overhead multiplies the element of surprise, with hapless pedestrians and motorists blissfully unaware of the dangers. Quite often on some footpaths one can also see hawkers selling their wares right below these transformers.

Electrical transformers are meant to transfer energy between circuits, switching energy from one voltage to another. But when flooded with too much electricity, the sudden surge can cause a transformer explosion. They do contain mineral oil to keeps the circuits cool, but during a spike in electricity the circuits fry and melt which often leads to sparks and sets the mineral oil aflame. A corroded or a faulty wire is enough to trigger a disaster.

The city had its fair share of electrocutions caused due to faulty transformers - the latest one being at Koramangala where a man sustained burn injuries and later died after a transformer explosion led to leakage of hot oil. He was riding a two-wheeler and happened to be near the transformer when the explosion took place. Quite a few times the matter have reached courts and the city's power supplier Bescom has been ticked off by judges for its cavalier attitude.

Despite High Court directive to shift these transformers from crowded footpaths and street corners little has been done and around 9,000 of them still lurk over pavements in various parts of the city. Some of them are located on footpaths adjoining roads that witness high traffic volumes during peak hours. Motorists are often forced to halt near them due to traffic jams, and they have to thank only their lucky stars for surviving unscathed.

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