As monsoon showers arrive in Bengaluru, the city is still grappling with incomplete civic works that were meant to be wrapped up beforehand. Multiple infrastructure projects—ranging from Rs 2,000 crore white-topping by BBMP, sewage and drainage upgrades by BWSSB, and cable installations by BESCOM—remain half-done, disrupting daily life.
Instead of safer, smoother roads, residents are navigating dug-up stretches, deep pits, and unfinished lanes. Ironically, in a city already criticized for lacking footpaths, the ongoing works have only worsened pedestrian woes, especially for senior citizens and children.
Even BMTC buses have had to change routes, rerouting to already jammed streets due to road closures. Bureaucratic red tape—such as delays in obtaining police permissions, shifting utilities, and overburdened contractors—has added to the chaos. Frequent rain interruptions further slow the pace of work.
Another major hurdle is delayed payments to contractors, leading to abrupt halts and prolonged project timelines. While these works are touted as part of “beautifying Bengaluru,” for many, they have only brought hardship and uncertainty.
Localities across the city are now dotted with ditches and roads scraped raw, closed off indefinitely. The toll is heavy on daily commuters, and residents are left wondering when these so-called improvements will finally translate into real progress—or at least a return to normalcy.
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