Bengaluru’s road network came under scrutiny during an inspection led by Greater Bengaluru Authority Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who directed officials to address unfinished roadwork, drainage problems, encroachments and infrastructure conflicts along the Sarjapur–Attibele–Varthur corridor.
During the inspection on Wednesday, Byre Gowda questioned officials of the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited about delays in acquiring land and laying gravel on available stretches. He asked why work could not begin on land already available and criticised officials for citing multiple reasons when asked to improve the road.
The minister also reviewed the road from Sarjapur Circle towards St John’s Hospital and areas around Domasandra, where metro construction is under way. He instructed metro officials to ensure that traffic movement was not disrupted and that a systematic drainage arrangement was created so rainwater could flow away from the construction zone.
The inspection also focused on roadside conditions that can worsen traffic and flooding. Byre Gowda questioned officials about shops that had allegedly been allowed to occupy four to five feet of road space in areas already facing traffic problems. He also pointed to the accumulation of soil waste on the road and asked how rainwater could drain properly when the road edges were blocked.
At Gunjur village, the minister directed Bangalore Electricity Supply Company officials to shift a transformer located close to the road. He questioned why the transformer had been installed near a road curve and instructed the authorities to relocate it. The inspection brought together officials dealing with roads, metro construction and electricity infrastructure, highlighting the number of agencies involved in maintaining the same urban corridors.
Byre Gowda further examined the road along the Varthur lake bund. According to the report, he questioned the need for additional land acquisition when there appeared to be sufficient space along the existing stretch to build the road. He asked officials to assess whether the available land could be used instead of pursuing further acquisition.
The minister’s directions came after officials cleared abandoned vehicles from the road, an action described in the report as having received public appreciation. The inspection also covered road patchwork and the use of gravel on damaged stretches. Byre Gowda questioned whether patching potholes alone would be effective if drainage and roadside conditions remained unresolved.
The issues raised during the inspection reflect the operational difficulties of Bengaluru’s expanding corridors, where metro construction, roadside commercial activity, electricity infrastructure, drainage and road widening often overlap. The report did not provide deadlines for completing the instructed works or details of any follow-up enforcement action. The next steps will depend on the concerned agencies acting on the directions issued during the inspection.
