Bengaluru: The department-wise grievance data from Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) phone-in programme offers a revealing snapshot of the city’s civic stress points, administrative responsiveness, and structural bottlenecks across sectors.According to BNCC data accessed by TOI, a total of 1,626 complaints were recorded till early April, with the majority relating to road infrastructure, solid waste management and forest-related issues. Road maintenance (engineering) alone accounted for 620 complaints — nearly 38% of the total — making it the single largest source of citizen distress.This was followed by solid waste-related issues (320 complaints) and forest-related grievances (112), indicating that mobility, waste management and green cover governance form the triad of everyday urban friction. Health (88), electrical (95), and veterinary services (70) also featured prominently, suggesting that essential services are under sustained pressure in a rapidly expanding city.What stands out, however, is the sharp contrast between complaint volume and closure efficiency.“Of the 1,626 complaints, 1,195 have been marked as closed, reflecting a resolution rate of over 73%. We are working every day to ensure that the city corporation’s upkeep remains top-notch. Engineers and sanitation workers are working relentlessly to ensure the corporation performs well,” said Pommala Sunil Kumar, BNCC commissioner.On road maintenance, which shows 406 closures but still carries 123 pending cases and 73 marked for long-term solutions, Sunil Kumar said, “Road infrastructure involves multiple challenges, the biggest being potholes and bad roads. There are two kinds of issues — isolated potholes and long stretches of damaged or missing roads. The latter requires more time and planning to fix.”He added, “In the civic budget, we have committed to fixing arterial, sub-arterial, and ward roads, and this will be taken up soon.”Similarly, solid waste-related complaints show 291 closures out of a total of 320 cases. “There are numerous blackspots in the city, and we have worked extensively to reduce them and ensure proper waste disposal,” Sunil Kumar said.Meanwhile, Bengaluru West City Corporation commissioner Rajendra KV, who also conducted phone-in programmes to understand citizen concerns, said the major complaints in his jurisdiction relate to roadside garbage dumping, illegal parking, footpath encroachment, and potholes. “We are addressing each complaint, but road- and infrastructure-related issues require more time,” he said.Bengaluru Central, South and East city corporations have not been conducting regular phone-in programmes, raising questions about consistency in citizen engagement across zones
