Pedestrians struggle as footpath remains in shambles in heart of Bengaluru

Barely 500 metres away from Vidhana Soudha, the power centre of Karnataka in Bengaluru, lies a stretch of road that has been plagued by potholes and broken footpaths for months. Pedestrians using the busy road struggle without a footpath. Even motorists are affected.

The busy road between K. R. Circle and Kempegowda Road houses the City Civil Court Complex, the Bangalore City University campus and the Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Central College metro station along with a bus stop. According to regular commuters, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) began repairs on the footpath and a pipeline months ago, but there’s been no visible progress since then. What remains are broken slabs, barricades and dusty pipes, which have been there for weeks.

“The traffic congestion is brutal,” said Anju, a commuter. “I come from Hennur. It is very difficult to wait for a bus here as the bus stop has become an auto stand. I see no progress on the road work for the past five months,” she added.

“We cannot walk safely. This has been in the same condition for six months, and I see no progress,” said Viru, a pedestrian.

A BBMP official stated that the delay is due to multiple departments working on the stretch. “That stretch was under Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for nearly five months. They completed their pipeline work in early May,” said the BBMP official. “We took over immediately after that, and began the footpath work.”

The official said that nearly 900 meters of footpath work has been completed on this stretch. “We are trying to finish the work as early as possible. The routes concerned are being coordinated with the traffic police,” the official added. “Hopefully, within the next 15 days, the remaining work will be completed, and the white-topping will start.”

The official mentioned that heavy rainfall in recent weeks had disrupted the work. Drain cleaning work is also being done simultaneously, the official added.

Similar issues on another road

Similarly, the road connecting the Karnataka High Court and the Press Club Bengaluru has been deteriorating for more than a year. Narasimha Murthy, a prominent advocate and civic leader who has been constantly monitoring this issue, said that the problem hasn’t been addressed by the government.

“The issue has not been resolved even after multiple complaints to the civic bodies, including the BBMP and Public Works Department (PWD),” he stated. “The government has received letters from the Registrar General of the High Court more than twice,” he added.

The road that links crucial public institutions, such as the High Court, Bar Council, and the Press Club, experiences heavy traffic day by day.

Mr. Murthy had handed over a letter regarding this matter to Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and organised a protest to highlight the issue, but it did not elicit a response.