Bengaluru Smart City’s remodelling work to give the entire stretch a Church Street like cobblestone makeover is going at a slow pace, shop owners say.
The once bustling Commercial Street in Bengaluru, which used to see a rush of customers and hectic business activity, wears a deserted look now. Apart from the few shoppers on the lane, the street looks like a disaster zone. One side of the road opposite the Commercial Street Police Station is cordoned off as utility lines (for power, internet and sewage) are being realigned. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, business at all establishments in this shopping district had come to a standstill as it had globally and locally, but since the easing of the lockdown from May, a second factor has further dampened the prospects for business establishments of all shapes and sizes. Bengaluru Smart City Limited has started work towards redeveloping the entire street in the Shivajinagar area to give it a Church Street like cobblestone makeover. Making the lane a pedestrian-only area is also on the cards. However, the slow pace of work is adding to the woes of local businesses amidst the slowdown induced by COVID-19. The stretch between Ibrahim Street on one side and Dispensary Road on the other have outlets of multiple major retail brands as well as independent shops dealing in clothing, phones and jewellery to antiques, shoes and home decor items. Other than that, there are restaurants as well along with outlets of popular fast food chains. Yasin Pasha, who owns a small shop named Blossoms that sells ethnic wear, says business is down by 75% and even the recent Ganesh Chaturthi festival failed to improve sales. “I’m trying to return or divert my stocks to stores in Mumbai and other cities as I don’t have money to pay the supplier. With coronavirus, business is down everywhere but at least things are picking up. But now with the road like this, I don’t see things changing here for the better anytime soon,” he tells TNM. He says that if it rains even a little, the area turns into a mud pool, further hindering business given that many already prefer to shop online since the start of the pandemic. Sharma, who manages a small bag store, says that while in the first week of May there was some activity, with the roadworks beginning business has again dwindled. He also says that the whole area turns into a mess once it rains and it’s even difficult for even the staff to make their way in and out of the shops. Mukesh Singh, manager at the Handloom Centre that sells furnishings among other handloom items, agrees. But he says, “It’s best that the work is happening now, given that anyway there is little business and without a vaccine there can’t be any chance of business reviving. So we can’t complain that work is going on as it will definitely make the street look attractive once the project is over.” TNM could not reach Smart City Managing Director Hepshiba Korlapati or Chief Engineer Srinivas for comment. Incidentally, the remodelling of the Museum Cross Road, about 400 m in length, took six months to be completed and ready for use by pedestrians and vehicles.
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