Docket numbers, little action: Bengalureans question civic complaint redressal

Bengaluru: A pothole filled after repeated complaints only to reappear weeks later. A street continuing to see sewage leaks despite multiple appeals. Garbage blackspots marked “cleared” while waste continues to pile up. These are not isolated incidents; this is the reality of the complaints filed by citizens in Bengaluru with civic agencies in order to improve their localities and lives. 

Despite having multiple helpline numbers, online portals and apps, a social media presence, and other ways to reach out to authorities, the city’s problems remain persistent. 

Heaps of uncleared garbage off Outer Ring Road at Kadirenahalli in Banashankari.

Over the years, agencies such as the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (now the Greater Bengaluru Authority [GBA]), the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB), the Bengaluru Electric Supply Company (BESCOM), the Bengaluru traffic police, and other civic agencies have maintained complaint portals to encourage citizens to lodge complaints.

While these systems promise quicker response times and transparent tracking, many residents say complaints are often marked “resolved” without verification, photographic proof or long-term fixes. In several cases, recurring problems are repeatedly reopened by citizens, pointing to concerns over superficial repairs, contractor accountability and pressure to improve closure statistics.

As Bengaluru heads into another monsoon season, recurring complaints around potholes, flooding, garbage accumulation, fallen trees and failing infrastructure continue to test public trust in the city’s ability to respond effectively.

Reality check confirms citizen experience

For this story, DH conducted a ground-level check by filing and tracking civic complaints across multiple platforms to examine how grievance redressal systems function in practice.

Six complaints relating to footpath, garbage, street lights, road construction debris and sewage overflowing were lodged through apps such as Sahaaya 2.0, Jala doot, and Bescom Mithra, via helpline numbers (including WhatsApp numbers), and on social media such as X (formerly known as Twitter).

The complaints were immediately assigned a docket or serial number, but the issue persisted. The status after 24 hours: In progress. The complainants, including this reporter, did not receive calls or messages from the concerned officials.

This is a persistent experience for many. Arun Jagganath, a regular complainant on Sahaay 2.0, said, “I have filed hundreds of complaints against garbage and potholes several times, but the response is almost zero. The docket number gets issued, and that is it. Numerous follow-ups and calls have not led us anywhere either.” 

Ravi Krishna, a resident of Hanumanthagar, has filed multiple complaints on X (Twitter) but has received no response. “It is an exercise in futility. I tweet a complaint and get an immediate response from the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), which issues me a complaint number. Nothing more happens.” 

Pic 1: The screen grab of the complaint filed in the civic agency’s redressal app which notes that the reported problem has been solved.

Pic 2: The site mentioned in the complaint after the app says resolved.

Some people have found more success with BESCOM Mitra and the BESCOM helpline number (1912) than with other civic agencies. 

Sharath Kumar, a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar and a civic volunteer, said, “While it is not the greatest app or service, the helpline number is quite helpful. When the power is out, the person at the call centre provides the right information, and if they are unaware, connects to the right people. Also, when there are complaints on street lights in residential areas, and it’s filed through their helpline number, the problem is taken up soon and solved.” 

Many of the complainants have been tracking civic agencies for years, even going so far as to approach the High Court, but no real solutions have emerged. 

Naveen B G, a resident of Mallathahalli, explained that residents in his locality have experienced recurring flooding since 2017, leaving many families living in constant fear during every rain spell.

The flooding, allegedly linked to construction activity around the Sidvin Grace Apartment, prompted residents to approach the Karnataka High Court in 2021 after repeated complaints to civic authorities yielded little action.

Following court directions, civic agencies constructed a stormwater drain and road to improve rainwater flow. However, residents allege that the drainage outlet has again been obstructed since March 2026, reviving fears of flooding. Despite repeated representations, they say no effective action has been taken, raising concerns over urban flooding and civic accountability.

A resident of Yelahanka, who requested anonymity, expressed his frustration over a year-long civic and health crisis caused by the illegal dumping of unsegregated waste on a vacant plot near Ashwathnarayan Road. He says the site has become a persistent source of foul odour and a potential breeding ground for dengue, forcing some families to consider leaving the area.

Despite repeated complaints through the Swachhata App, the Sahaaya portal, and to BSWML, residents allege that complaints are routinely closed without action, raising concerns about enforcement failures and accountability in Bengaluru’s waste management and grievance redressal systems.

The complaint has extended to the Bengaluru Traffic Police. When citizens raise complaints on X, the BTP’s usual response is to log it in the ASTRAM app. However, most regular users complain that it is not approved even when all the standards are met. Those logged in do not get resolved soon.

Sachin S K, a resident of Basavanagudi, said, “Every time we have reported a complaint on the X, we get a response to report it on the app, but the complaint always remains unresolved and/or pending forever.”

What do the authorities say? 

Explaining the grievance resolution protocol of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, Commissioner for North Corporation, Pommala Sunil Kumar, said that issues that can be resolved immediately are connected to the concerned officers and are solved as soon as possible. 

The commissioner agreed that there have been complaints labelled as solved or closed, even though the issues on the ground have remained the same. 

“Sometimes the issues remain on the app or portals because the issue cannot be resolved immediately, and it takes a lot of integration between the departments and officers for the problem to be resolved, so waiting is inevitable,” said the commissioner. 

Complaint redressal / Artwork

Pommala Sunil Kumar, who also hosts phone-in calls every Friday, said, “When the citizens call up during our phone-in programme, and the complaint has already been lodged through app or website, we enter their complaint number and find out the problem, and if it was something solvable, we make sure it is done, if not, we connect it to the concerned officer.” 

The BWSSB also has a protocol similar to GBA, explains Jayashankar, Chief Engineer, East, BWSSB. “We take complaints from helpline, online protocols, apps and people can also visit our regional offices to lodge the complaint. We try to resolve most of it in less than 24 hours from the time of registration of the complaint; if not, we aim for 48 hours,” said Jayashankar. 

For many citizens, the grievance redressal system is a grievance in itself. More than resolution, the system is about filing complaints, collecting docket numbers and waiting without clarity on the issue. While civic agencies insist that systems are in place and that thousands of complaints are addressed daily, recurring potholes, flooding, garbage black spots, and unresolved infrastructure failures continue to expose the gap between digital governance promises and on-the-ground accountability.