BANGALORE: The dhobi ghat at Ashoknagar has a history to boast about but nothing to revel about the facilities for washermen. A proposal was made to modernise the dhobi ghat during S M Krishna’s regime in 2002 but things did not roll out as planned.Earlier the dhobi ghat’s total area was one-and-half acres but when the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) took up development work, its area was reduced by half acre. "A portion of the dhobi ghat was handed over to the ITI by the BBMP for a parking-lot. On the pretext of development, the BBMP authorities demolished seven houses of washermen. They have promised to develop this place but nothing has been done till date,’’ said R Rajanna, president, Ashoknagar Madiwalara Welfare Association.The dhobi ghat was a small tank (Shulay Tank). The washermen from nearby areas used to wash the clothes at this tank. The then Commissioner of Bangalore City Corporation had invited applications from washermen for allotting stone slabs to wash clothes on a monthly rental of `2. "It was A K Anantha Krishna, the then Corporator, who played a key role in developing the tank as dhobi ghat in 1961. We have been paying tax since 1964 to the BBMP,’’ says A Krishnappa, secretary of the association. When the BBMP initiated ‘development work’ with an estimated cost of Rs 10 lakh in 2002, not only made the washermen to lose their houses but also face lot of problems. The construction of a sewage drain has polluted the water in the open well, the one and only water source for the dhobi ghat. "Earlier, the well water was potable but now it is polluted due to the seepage of sewage water into the well,’’ says Krishnappa. The bad odour that emanates from the polluted water of well makes it difficult to stand for a while near the well. With no other water source, the washermen are compelled to use the polluted water for washing clothes. "We have to mix chemicals with the water before using it for washing clothes. We have been requesting the BBMP authorities to sanction a borewell here for water supply,’’ says a washerman on condition of anonymity. On December 16, 2010, the BBMP had approved modernisation plan for the dhobi ghat with an estimated cost of Rs 1.35 crore. On June 13, 2011, It has invited the tenders for the modernisation of the dhobi ghat with an estimated cost of Rs 1.19 crore. Meanwhile, K Shivakumar, Corporator of Shantalanagar, said that no one had evinced interest to take up the work when the BBMP invited tenders for the development of the dhobi ghat. "I have requested the Commissioner of the BBMP to float the tenders once again. If no one comes forward to take up development works, I will request the BBMP to handover the development of the dhobi ghat to the Ashoknagar Madiwalara Sangha,’’ says Shivakumar.
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