Bengaluru: Poorly maintained civic work site turns Lower Agaram Road into accident hazard

Excavated soil has been piled up in multiple mounds along the stretch, while large stones have been left scattered haphazardly on the carriageway.

Lower Agaram Road, a key connecting stretch in the southeastern part of the city, is lined with mounds of soil and piles of debris, posing a potential hazard to commuters. The situation has persisted despite multiple directions in the past to ensure safety measures at civic work sites, prompting citizens to demand a formal standard operating procedure (SOP) for worksite management.

Lower Agaram Road is a key route for residents of southeast Bengaluru travelling to the eastern and central parts of the city. While Hosur Road was earlier the preferred route, increasing traffic congestion and ongoing Metro work over the years have led most residents to use Lower Agaram Road to reach central Bengaluru.

The entire stretch is currently being white-topped, with utility works under way ahead of the project. Excavated soil has been piled up in multiple mounds along the stretch, while large stones and sewer slabs have been left scattered haphazardly on the carriageway.

While completely closing the stretch is nearly impossible given its importance for connectivity, the poor maintenance of the work site has increased the risk of accidents, particularly at night.

Vishwa Karanth, a regular commuter, said the sides of both carriageways had been dug up for over 20 days, while the scattered debris remained uncleared, slowing down traffic. “When they closed a small portion about two months ago, it used to take over 15 minutes to cover a mere 2 km along the stretch. Now, though vehicle movement is not severely affected, the risk of accidents is too high,” he said, adding it wouldn’t have been an issue if the civic body maintained the site properly by clearing debris on time and adhering to a stipulated timeline.

Karishma G.H., another commuter, said several parts of the stretch had no street lights, further increasing the risk of accidents at night. “The stretch witnesses vehicle movement even at night, including BMTC buses. Mud mounds have created several bottlenecks along the stretch, which significantly slow down traffic,” she said. “With slow-moving traffic, a lack of street lights and the cautionary signage, navigating the stretch is risky,” she added.

However, this is the same situation across several road work sites in the city.

Sujith Cariappa of the Social Amenities Association pointed out that despite repeated directions from senior officials, there were hardly any caution boards near work sites. He stressed the need for an SOP for worksite management that also specifies the timelines for completing projects.

In the past, delays have been a bone of contention between the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) and civic bodies, with J.C. Road being a prime example. Subsequently, the BTP began withholding permissions and directed civic bodies to carry out works in phases. However, even with phased execution, delays have persisted, while poor site management has continued to cause traffic problems. The GBA’s own data also showed that 70% of white-topping works in the city were delayed, as reported earlier by The Hindu.