Bengaluru: For hundreds of residents in the city’s eastern suburbs, the 400-metre Gunjur Club House Road has become a symbol of civic neglect. What should have been a key link connecting Gunjur with Varthur, Sarjapur, and the Outer Ring Road has, for nearly two years, remained a battered stretch of dust, craters, and unfinished infrastructure work.The road’s condition has not only disrupted daily commutes but also hurt livelihoods. A woman entrepreneur told TOI she was forced to shut her restaurant after customers stopped visiting because of dust. Having taken a loan to start the business, she now cooks inside the closed outlet but sells food from a cart on a nearby road to repay her EMIs. “For the past 1.5 years, this road has been in the worst condition. The dust is so bad people avoid even walking on this stretch. Every time a vehicle passes, everything gets covered in dust within seconds. I now cook inside the shop and sell from a cart on a nearby road. I try to maintain hygiene, but the dust is impossible to escape,” she said.The road serves several apartment complexes, schools and commercial establishments, making it one of the area’s busiest internal corridors. Yet commuters describe it as a “roller-coaster ride”, with vehicles jolting over uneven surfaces, loose jelly stones, and deep craters. During TOI’s visit, two-wheeler riders were seen standing on their footrests to navigate the stretch, while pedestrians struggled through clouds of dust kicked up by traffic.Ongoing stormwater drain works have further narrowed the road, worsening conditions. Instead of a paved urban stretch, it resembles an unpaved track strewn with excavated soil, stones and dust.The issue has drawn the attention of senior civic officials. A few weeks ago, Greater Bengaluru Authority chief commissioner M Maheshwar Rao inspected the stretch with Bengaluru East City Corporation officials and directed them to expedite works. BECC officials said the road lacks a proper stormwater drainage network, leading to repeated damage. “Once the drains are completed, the road will be restored, providing a permanent solution,” an engineer said.What citizens sayNavdeep Singh, Gunjur resident: This road has been in a terrible state for over two years. What began as a pothole-ridden stretch has turned into a health and safety hazard. Stormwater drain work, which started in Jan, has remained stalled for months, leaving behind open pits, craters, and thick dust. Despite repeated protests and complaints, little has changed. When it rains, the pits fill with water and become invisible, putting schoolchildren, elderly residents, pregnant women, and commuters at risk. It feels as though the authorities are waiting for a fatal accident before acting.Arpit Garg, commuter: The current condition of the road poses an immediate danger to commuters, especially two-wheeler riders. The surface is highly uneven and has deteriorated to the extent that cars and bikes frequently scrape their underbodies, leading to constant wear and financial damage. At night, poor visibility makes the stretch even more treacherous. A slight swerve could cause a rider to fall into the open drain or suffer serious injuries.Abhishek D, commuter: One day, while travelling on Gunjur Club House Road on my motorcycle, I witnessed a frightening incident. The road was pitch dark, with no streetlights, and riddled with deep potholes and open drains. A few metres ahead of me, another biker lost control after hitting a pothole, slipped, and sustained injuries. This road has become a daily nightmare for commuters.
