Infrastructure Woes Plague Kempegowda Layout Residents in Bengaluru
The Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), located near Kengeri in Bengaluru, has become a poster child for the persistent infrastructural issues that continue to haunt city planning and development. Despite the Bangalore Development Authority’s (BDA) ambitious plans, the layout remains far from ready, leaving its residents to bear the brunt of incomplete civic amenities such as roads, electricity connections, and street lighting.
In a recent letter to the BDA, the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout Mukta Vedike, a community forum, highlighted the residents’ increasing frustration. The letter outlines how homeowners in the area have had to fund their electricity connections, a responsibility that should have been managed by the authorities. “Due to incomplete work in NPKL, we had to install cables at our own expense to get electricity connection from BESCOM,” the forum states. Some residents also reported an additional burden, as their personal electricity connections were being used to power streetlights. These issues have escalated financial hardships for families already struggling to cope with the infrastructural bottlenecks.
The NPKL is a sprawling development project that covers over 4,000 acres, impacting more than ten villages along the Bengaluru-Mysore Road and Bengaluru-Magadi Road near Kengeri. With over 26,000 plots already allocated, the area was once seen as an exciting opportunity for new homes and business ventures. However, the harsh reality has been quite different. The absence of basic facilities has discouraged the development of residential buildings, with fewer than 100 homes being built despite many years of plot allocation. The lack of fully developed infrastructure – especially roads that are unable to support large vehicles – has deterred residents from beginning construction.
The situation is particularly dire for landowners, who are unable to proceed with their plans due to the incomplete infrastructure. As the government continues to drag its feet on providing basic services, these residents are left in a precarious situation, forced to make their own arrangements for necessities like power and water. This delays not only personal progress but also the larger urban development goals of Bengaluru, a city already grappling with rapid growth and infrastructure deficiencies.
A crucial aspect that needs urgent attention is the sustainability of these developments. As urban sprawl continues to consume vast tracts of land, the importance of building smart, sustainable cities cannot be overstated. At present, the NPKL’s lack of fully paved roads, electricity grids, and public amenities is holding back its potential to become an integrated part of Bengaluru’s urban ecosystem. Additionally, concerns about water conservation, waste management, and environmental impact have been overshadowed by the rush to build on the outskirts. If these issues are not addressed, NPKL may end up exacerbating the very problems that modern urban planning seeks to solve, such as traffic congestion, resource depletion, and environmental degradation.
The government, particularly the BDA, needs to urgently step up its efforts to resolve these challenges. Without proper intervention, the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout could continue to remain an unfulfilled promise, further frustrating its residents and hindering the vision of a more sustainable and efficient Bengaluru.
