Nandidurga Residents Grapple with Potholes and Dust After Pipeline Work

Earlier this month, a large‑diameter water pipeline was forced underground along Nandidurga’s main thoroughfare. The work, which was supposed to end within two weeks, finished on schedule – but the aftermath has been anything but smooth.

Motorists and pedestrians now face a patchwork of uneven surfaces. Cracked asphalt, newly‑formed potholes and a fine, gritty dust cloud make every trip feel like an obstacle course. “I’m constantly braking hard because I can’t see the depth of the holes,” says Ramesh Kumar, who drives to his office daily. “And the dust gets into the car, the lungs – it’s just terrible.”

Local shop owners echo the sentiment. Priya Sharma, who runs a tiny tea stall near the pipeline’s entry point, notes that the dust settles on her tables within minutes. “Customers complain of coughs, and I’m forced to sweep constantly. It’s affecting business,” she adds, shrugging helplessly.

The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) maintains that the pipeline itself is fully operational and that the road resurfacing will be addressed in a “separate, upcoming” phase. A BWSSB spokesperson told reporters that the agency has already submitted a request for funds to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for urgent road repairs.

Meanwhile, the BBMP has issued a notice to the contractors, asking them to fill the potholes and clean the dust within the next ten days. “We understand the inconvenience caused to residents and commuters,” said BBMP deputy commissioner Arjun Rao. “The contractors are being closely monitored, and any delay will attract penalties.”

For now, commuters are improvising – some lay down sandbags, others drive at reduced speeds, and a few have taken alternate routes altogether. The situation highlights a broader pattern in Bengaluru where rapid infrastructure upgrades sometimes leave everyday users dealing with the messy fallout.