Bengaluru’s popular ‘thindi beedi’ (food street) in Visveswarapuram (V.V. Puram) has missed its date with Independence Day to be reopened in a renovated form.
As on Tuesday, the street remained partially closed as construction continued. The food street was shut down more than seven months ago and renovation of the street has been going on since December 2022. A majority of the stalls remain shut.
The street has been converted into a pedestrian-only stretch. However, the promised renovation of the road to make it look similar to Commercial Street has not been completed.
“We have incurred a lot of loss because of the shut down and we have not been informed as to when the construction will be completed,” said Devraj, a stall owner. He mentioned that the street shut down completely in February and the stall owners were told that the construction will only take place for a period of two months.
“Though there is not much trouble accessing the food stalls, there is a lot of noise at the end of the road due to the ongoing construction,” said Nazia, a customer.
With no dedicated parking spaces at the moment, the now pedestrian-only street suffers from over-cramping of vehicles at the beginning of the road. The proposed renovations were to include tiles and cobblestones on the roads and pavements along with an addition of seating arrangements for customers. The street was also set to get fixed standing tables, handwash facilities and fixed dustbins. Though the street, located near Sajjan Rao circle, saw customers walking in, construction continued at nearly all parts of the food street.
Speaking to The Hindu, Tushar Giri Nath, Chief Commissioner, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), said, “The street will be reopened with proper intimation to everyone. Minor work may have been remaining. Other than that, there is no major reason for the delay.”
