After screen of dust, Bengaluru’s Holiday Village Road residents now face slushy road conditions, to protest today

Bengaluru: Fed up with years of poor infrastructure and lack of action, residents of Holiday Village Road in Mallasandra, off Kanakapura Road, are planning a protest this Sunday.

They are demanding immediate road repairs and relief from unsafe living conditions.“The road is in a very bad condition for the last three years,” said Shrikant Kulkarni, a resident of Purva Highlands. “They are digging it up on one side and before filling it up, they dig on the other. That continued.”Despite assurances from officials and elected representatives, residents say the contractor failed to act. “While a few of us met our MLA and were assured that the issue escalated to the chief minister and deputy CM, we are yet to see any visible action on the ground.

The contractor remains unresponsive despite instructions from the highest levels,” said Tejaswi Deshikar, president of Sattva Misty Charm. The issue worsened with onset of rains. Delivery agents from online platforms reportedly skidded and fell, and residents cite daily accidents.“Recently, I rushed my neighbour — a new mother — to the hospital. Navigating through pothole-ridden, slushy roads was harrowing and posed serious risks to her safety.

Last year, two school buses were stuck in the muck and had to be lifted out by cranes,” Deshikar shared.BBMP officials visited the site recently. “The contractor is not efficient… maybe whatever reasons, it’s going at a very slow pace,” said Pradeep Shenoy, a corporate lawyer and resident of Godrej Eternity. “There is waterlogging — two to two and a half feet in some places. Rickshaws are refusing rides or charging double.”Local MLA ST Somashekar said: “Six months ago, white-topping was sanctioned… but the contractor was not okay. He was given a Rs 10 lakh penalty. The chief engineer inspected the road today. We have asked DCM to stop apartment building in this road condition. Once the work starts with the rains ceasing, the road can be fixed in 15 days. We will make an alternate road, considering the rapid increase in residential units,” he said.With schools reopening next week and no alternate road in place, residents say the protest is a desperate plea for safety and basic civic infrastructure.