Flooded Whitefield and East Bengaluru Roads Cause Traffic Chaos and Resident Protests

Residents in Whitefield and surrounding areas of East Bengaluru's IT corridor are raising alarms over dangerous, flooded, and severely deteriorated road conditions that are causing traffic gridlock and commuter accidents. Key stretches, including Thubarahalli Village Road in Whitefield, Medahalli Main Road, and the Munnekolala underpass junction, have deteriorated into hazardous paths of potholes, sunken pavement, and loose gravel, with conditions worsening significantly during heavy rains.

Syed Ansari, a resident near Medahalli Main Road, reported that heavy rains turn the road into a stream, forcing vehicles to slow down and causing severe traffic jams. Ansari noted that local residents regularly have to assist motorcyclists who fall due to the poor road conditions. On one side, the road has sunk, while the other side consists of sand and gravel instead of tar.

The bad stretch on Thubarahalli Village Road in Whitefield continues for at least two kilometers, connecting to Old Madras Road, Devarabeesanahalli, and Munnekollal road. Resident Parthasarthi M. stated that the road has been in poor condition for a long time. Despite complaints to officials and politicians, as well as organizing a protest, residents have seen no results, and rains make the situation worse due to overflowing drains.

Similar conditions plague Manjunatha Layout and Silver Spring Layout roads, which are lined with apartment buildings. Local resident Sumana Choudhury highlighted the danger, stating she restricts her children from walking outside alone during rains. She added that school buses of all sizes frequently get stuck in the potholes on these roads.

At the Munnekolala underpass junction, which connects to Marathahalli, the entire road appears unrepaired for years. An anonymous traffic policeman working in the area admitted that rains cause numerous cars to get stuck, leading to traffic jams and prompting angry commuters to abuse officers trying to assist them.

Local officials attribute the delayed repairs to legal and jurisdictional hurdles. Uday Chougule, Executive Engineer for Mahadevapura in the Bengaluru East Corporation, explained that the corporation lacks the rights to lay a road on Thubarahalli Village Road because it is classified as a stormwater drain (SWD) managed by another department. However, Chougule stated the corporation plans to build a box-type drain and lay concrete slabs to facilitate traffic.

For Medahalli Main Road, an unresolved land compensation dispute from 2008-09 has stalled work. Resident Ghori Saab said the government acquired land from residents but never paid the promised compensation, leading landowners to block repairs during official inspections. Sachin Appugol, Assistant Engineer for Basavanapura Ward, confirmed the compensation file is currently with the Transferrable Development Rights Services Department, and road laying can proceed once the file is cleared.