Monday, September 25

P.G. D'Souza Layout

It would not always seem to be so, but Bangalore has a history of town planning. The earliest zoning regulations in the City covered the very locations on which the most problematic commercial building is being proposed in these days.

The regulations -- initially targeted towards Sidney Road, now called Kasturba Road, but not specific to it -- came into force on July 2, 1892, sponsored by Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, Dewan of Mysore and Sir T.R.A. Thumboochetty, Chief Judge. Since there was no separate law on town planning those days, it was decided that the regulations should be written into the Mysore Revenue Manual, that bible for the babus. These manuals thence carried a section "Locations in Bangalore City Where House Building Is Prohibited" (767-8-RF 55-92 d 2nd July, 1892). The boundaries within which erection of buildings, sinking of wells, or extensive excavations for any purpose whatsoever were prohibited in the City is as follows:

I. From the police station near the Yelahanka Gate of the City along the Pete Road upto the Civil and Military Station boundary stone XII and thence along the Civil and Military Station boundary passing along portions of the Pete, St. Mark's Road and Sidney Roads upto Civil and Military Station boundary stone XV along Sidney Road to the Cenotaph and to the police station near the Yelahanka Gate of the City.

II. From the Madras railway level crossing at the Palace South Gate along the Madras boundary where it meets Miller's Road. Thence along Miller's Road where it meets Cunningham Road to where it meets the Avenue Road and thence along the Avenue Road to the Madras railway level crossing at the Palace south gate.

III. On lands assigned for public purposes whether within or without the boundaries described in the preceding paragraphs new buildings or extensions of existing ones should not be erected without the express sanction of Government.

The edict was reissued with every revision of the revenue manual, by Revenue Commissioners such as Sir T. Ananda Row, B. Ramaswamaiya, C.S. Balasundaram Iyer, K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, and P.G. D'Souza.

I am put up in a guest house inside a private layout named after P.G. D'Souza at the entrance of Vittal Mallya Road (formerly Grant Road) down Kasturba Road. Across the street, a chaotic construction of United Breweries City brings you back forcefully to the BDA of today. Inside, it is old-style spacious, and breezy.






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