Bengaluru: Dug-up roads across Banashankari 1st Stage, including in Srinivasa Nagar, Ashokanagar, Vidyapeetha and Hanumanthanagar, have disrupted traffic and left residents coping with dust, even as civic agencies say the works are necessary and nearing completion.The affected stretches, under Bengaluru West City Corporation, are seeing multiple infrastructure works carried out at once. While Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is laying pipelines for natural gas in some pockets, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is replacing ageing water supply and sanitary lines.A major stretch of Kathriguppe Main Road, between Mount Joy Road and Vidyapeetha Circle, remains partially or fully shut, slowing traffic and affecting businesses.Officials say the water and sewer lines being replaced were decades old and prone to leakages. Workers, however, have faced delays due to hard rock formations and underground internet cables interfering with excavation.“Workers have been laying pipes quickly, but they had to re-lay our sanitary line as it got damaged while laying the supply line,” said Kiran B S, a shop owner.Another shopkeeper, requesting anonymity, said the simultaneous execution of multiple projects had inconvenienced residents and customers.Ganesh A, a resident, said constant dust from exposed soil had become a persistent problem. “We understand the works are essential, but there is a lot of dust from the road in front of our house,” he said.Some residents also took to X, complaining of roads remaining dug up for months and alleging poor coordination among agencies. Bengaluru West City Corporation executive engineer Dharanendra Kumar said the civic body has been pressing BWSSB to restore stretches as work progresses.“Once all the work is complete, the corporation will take up resurfacing of the roads. BWSSB is expected to finish work in about two weeks,” he said.Kumar said GAIL began work in Ashoka Nagar ward and its piped natural gas network may take longer to complete, but assured roads across the area would be fully asphalted once the utility works end.
