Kanakapara Road HDC Project: A Patchy Reality Check in Bengaluru
On the bustling Kanakapura Road in south Bengaluru, residents and daily commuters navigate a hazardous obstacle course of debris, overflowing garbage, and chaotic traffic—often simultaneously. Nearly 20 months after the ambitious High-Density Corridor (HDC) project commenced, the promised transformation of this critical arterial road remains frustratingly incomplete and uneven.
Stark Variations in Execution Along the Corridor
A detailed reality check reveals a corridor of contrasts. From the starting point up to the Kanakapura Metro station, footpaths on the Silk Institute Metro side are largely structurally intact. However, these walkways are frequently cluttered with garbage, dust, and illegally parked vehicles. Further encroachment by shops and street vendors compounds the problem for pedestrians. Interestingly, the carriageway in this initial section is reported to be in good condition by local residents.
The situation shifts between Banashankari and Yelachenahalli. Here, footpaths relaid just last year are structurally sound but have been repurposed by some as unofficial dumping grounds for waste. While the roads in this stretch have been freshly asphalted, the quality of the project visibly deteriorates beyond the Kanakapura Metro station.
Beyond Kanakapura: Broken Footpaths and Public Discontent
Progress thins out significantly further along the corridor. From Kanakapura Metro station onward, footpaths are often broken, uneven, encroached upon, or missing cobblestones entirely. In several locations, garbage covers nearly half the footpath width, forcing pedestrians to risk walking on the busy carriageway amidst moving traffic.
Areas like Thalaghattapura and Doddakallasandra are particularly affected, with debris including concrete chunks, mud, and large slabs strewn across walkways. This creates dangerous conditions where pedestrians must dodge obstacles while navigating vehicle traffic.
Local shopkeepers and residents express deep dissatisfaction. When informed of the project's hefty Rs 130-crore price tag, many responded that the visible quality of work does not justify such a significant public expenditure. The project, part of the flagship program of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (now the Greater Bengaluru Authority), aimed to transform an 8km stretch from Banashankari Metro station to Silk Institute Metro station into a model urban corridor.
Project Goals Versus Ground Reality
Initiated in June 2024 with an allocation of approximately Rs 130 crore, the HDC project promised uniform carriageways, accessible footpaths, dedicated cycle lanes, and comprehensive allied infrastructure for this key corridor, which boasts Metro connectivity and heavy BMTC bus movement.
However, according to residents, tangible improvements are largely confined to the first 3km. Many flag concerns over poor execution quality and prolonged inconvenience caused by persistently dug-up sections. Despite repeated official assurances, the project is perceived as far from complete, raising serious questions about project timelines, quality control mechanisms, and overall accountability in this mega infrastructure exercise.
Voices from the Ground: Frustration and Uncertainty
Ashok Kumar, a 24-year-old employee at a fancy dress store in Doddakallasandra, shared his experience: "I've worked here for the past four years, and the footpaths are perpetually uneven, with cobblestones frequently dislodged or missing. Beyond occasional garbage clearance by pourakarmikas, I haven't witnessed any substantive work being done. While some footpath work is happening beyond Kanakapura station, there's complete uncertainty about whether our area will ever see similar attention."
This sentiment echoes widely among locals who are tired of the disrupted commutes and unfulfilled promises.
Official Response: Claiming Near-Completion, Shifting Responsibility
Officials from B-Smile, the agency executing the project, present a different perspective. They state that work on footpaths and street lighting is actively underway, with footpath construction reportedly complete except for a remaining 1km stretch near the NICE Road junction.
A senior B-Smile official clarified: "Footpath work on only a 1km stretch near the NICE Road junction is pending, and we aim to complete it shortly. Regarding the garbage issue, our responsibility ends with laying the footpaths. Their maintenance and waste management fall under the purview of the solid waste management body, for which we are not accountable."
This delineation of responsibility highlights a systemic gap where infrastructure creation and its subsequent upkeep are handled by separate entities, often leading to the degraded conditions residents currently endure.
The Kanakapura Road HDC project stands as a stark case study in urban infrastructure challenges—where grand plans, significant funding, and public promises collide with the messy realities of patchy execution, poor maintenance coordination, and the daily struggles of Bengaluru's citizens.
