Honnarpet dhobi ghat craves for water

BANGALORE: As one enters Honnarpet dhobi ghat, heaps of garbage await to greet people. The weeds and garbage emanates a bad odour making is necessary to protect your nostrils.Around 100 washermen families depend on Honnarpet dhobi ghat. However, they have to work in shifts due to space crunch and insufficient water. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had constructed a wall adjacent to storm water drain. However, the two entry points at this dobhi ghat make lives miserable for washermen. Any one can enter this dhobi ghat at any time and lay hands on the clothes. “We are worried about mischievous elements who steal the clothes from the clothes lines. We have complained to the police, but actions are yet to be taken,’’ said N Velu, Treasurer, Madiwalara Karmika Sangha.If the missing asbestos sheets and other material of the sheds constructed are anything to go by, one can imagine the vulnerability of these washermen. The civic body had constructed 29 sheds for them to stay at the dhobi ghat in 1984. However, these sheds became useless when the slum-dwellers laid their hands on the asbestos sheets. “We were not in a position to antagonise the slum-dwellers by lodging police complaint. Now, we are depending on MLA , N A Haris and Corporator of Nilasandra Ward, Lokesh, for the development of this dhobi ghat,’’ said S Subramani, General Secretary, Madiwalara Karmika Sangha.According to Subramani, a proposal to construct 98 houses for washermen and washing machines, driers and hydro extractors has been submitted to the BBMP. “We have requested the BBMP to construct an overhead water tank and dig one more borewell to solve the water problem at this dhobi ghat,’’ said Subramani.Meanwhile, Lokesh, Corporator of Nilasandra Ward, said that the BBMP has a plan to develop the dhobi ghat at an estimated cost of `2 crore. “The then Commissioner Siddaiah had visited this dhobi ghat and assured to develop it. We are waiting for Commissioner Shankaralinge Gowda to sanction funds to take up development works at this dhobi ghat,’’ said Lokesh.