Incomplete drain work in D’Costa Layout, Cooke Town, is blocking road access, leaving construction debris on the street and disrupting water connections, residents told Bangalore Mirror. The disruption has particularly affected senior citizens and people requiring medical care, including an 85-year-old wheelchair user who has reportedly been unable to reach a hospital for treatment.
The Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) began developing shoulder drains on both sides of roads in the locality, but residents said the work had continued for nearly two months without completion. They also said contractors started digging without giving households advance information about the work or the access problems it would create.
Robin Robert, a resident of an apartment complex in the area, said he had been unable to take his wheelchair-bound wife to hospital because debris and unfinished drain construction had obstructed the route. He also said a water pipeline was damaged during the demolition work and that workers initially sought Rs 11,000 to restore it. According to Robert, the amount was later reduced to Rs 8,000 and then Rs 4,000.
A BWSSB engineer clarified that restoring the damaged pipeline was the contractor’s responsibility, Robert said. He thanked the engineer for resolving the water pipeline issue. The report did not identify the engineer by name or provide details of the contractor’s work order.
Another resident, Andrea, said households had received no prior information about the road excavation or drain construction. Residents were forced to move their two-wheelers and cars to a nearby school for parking, she said. Andrea also reported that her household had been without water for more than 48 hours.
A resident who spoke anonymously described a separate incident at Paragon Residency, where repeated assurances from Sandeep, an assistant engineer with BNCC, and Mallappa, an assistant engineer with BWSSB, did not immediately result in restoration of services. The resident said no water tanker was provided until noon, while household water connections remained disrupted.
The resident credited Albert, who intervened to help restore the connections, and said contractor Dhayan assisted with the reconnection. The resident also questioned the basis for the reported requests for payment to restore pipes damaged during civic work, saying that any such demand should be supported by proper authority and documentation. The report did not independently establish whether the amounts were formally demanded by BWSSB staff or by workers connected with the project.
Albert R, founder-president of the Cooke Town Nivasigala Sangha, said construction debris had spread onto the road, affecting pedestrians and motorists. He also said he was suffering from a dust allergy because of unfinished civic work outside his home. The footpath-cum-drain alongside his compound wall had been demolished for a concrete drain, but the work remained incomplete, he said.
The residents’ accounts point to several immediate problems associated with the project: inadequate communication before excavation, unresolved pedestrian and vehicle access, damage to household water connections and delays in clearing debris. These disruptions have also created difficulties for residents who depend on predictable access to healthcare and basic services.
Bangalore Mirror reported that its attempts to contact the assistant executive engineer for comment were unsuccessful. The report did not state the project’s revised completion date or identify any publicly announced schedule for debris removal and restoration of affected access routes.
