Multi-level parking over graveyard to decongest 27th Main

One resident suggests, another recommends an easier way

By SAFIYA SAYEED

Resident and shop owner Rajesh Kumar says the graveyard in the military campus on 27th Main Road can be used for multi-level parking. But sentiment is what has prevented the authorities from making that happen for all these decades. Which is why one civic activist suggested that the 13th Cross Road adjoining the CPWD Quarters could be used for parking cars instead. In addition, all basement shops should be removed and parking needs to be allowed instead. That should decongest much of the road, says Jayaram Reddy, President, Sector 1 Residents Welfare Association. “There could be boards asking people to park on 13th Cross,” says Reddy (see picture inset above). “Barring white marking, there is no other expense involved for this.”

Another shop owner J Gangatharan says, "It won't make a difference; the centre of activity will move over there, but the overall situation will not improve. What is really required is self discipline by the residents who indulge in double parking and hate to walk even a small distance. And then, there is the lack of enforcement by the authorities."

 Store owner Suraj Lulla buys into the graveyard idea. "It's a brilliant idea to control the current situation," he says, but adds, "I feel parking should have been taken care of by the commercial building owners at the time of construction. Basements of commercial buildings can become designated parking spaces. We can have one side of the road for cars and the other side for two wheelers. We could even apply the odd-even rule (parking on one side of the road on odd days and the other side on even days). We should have a parking vendor who ensures proper parking regulations are being followed."

BBMP engineer Ananth Raju says the parking idea is possible only if the BBMP Council of corporators approve the idea: "But graveyards is a sentiment thing. No one wants pillars to be sunk in graveyards as they feel it disturbs the dead." 

Agrees Jayaram Reddy: "Don't touch graveyards; the people will not like it. Instead, all basement floor shops should be removed as that space is meant for parking. Let shop owners and their staff park their vehicles inside. They are the ones clogging the roads and inconveniencing their own customers in addition to people living in smaller bylanes. We have requested the MLA and have also given a letter in writing on these unlawful shops. It's time the BBMP took action on it."

 The CWPD idea of Reddy is also doable. "Towards the north of the CPWD Quarters, on the 13th Cross, you can park around 50 cars if a white line by traffic department clearly demarcates it for parking purpose," he says. "This way, people will avoid parking on smaller roads and inconveniencing the residents."