From urban showcase to eyesore: What went wrong with Bengaluru’s K-100?

The project, holding much promise, is yet to be completed, but it is already suffering from multiple issues

What was once seen as a fresh urban idea for Bengaluru is now neglected and poorly maintained. The K-100 waterway project, launched with much hope by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, was meant to turn the stormwater stretch between Majestic and Bellandur lake into an open, accessible public space where people could walk, sit, and spend time by the water. Today, the picture is far from that promise.

The K-100, officially known as the K-100 Citizens Waterway Project, is part of the Koramangala Valley stormwater drain network.

A reality check by DH showed that in many areas, local residents don’t use the space much, except to cross from one side to the other via the bridges.

Stormwater joins the waterway near Nala Road

A few stretches are being kept clean through regular upkeep, but that is not enough to hide the larger problems. Sewage and contaminated water remain the biggest issues. The smell is hard to ignore. Several residents said the stench is enough to drive people away from the area, especially during the rains.

There is also the problem of garbage. People continue throwing waste into the waterway, adding to the mess. In some unsupervised corners, the space has also become a spot for smoking, drinking and urinating. Rain has wreaked havoc in several sections by carrying debris along the channel, causing it to overflow onto bridges and uproot carefully planted shrubs.

Some unsupervised spots become a spot for smoking, drinking and urinating. 

A proposed office space along the K-100 corridor now lies abandoned, with empty interiors and little activity around it.

Still, the project has its strengths. The design is good with ramps, signage, and access points that show careful planning. In fact, it is the kind of public space many developed cities have long used well. But here, the space is left to deteriorate due to the lack of political will to fix the problems that plague it.

People walk over to the other side using the bridge in many areas. 

Shop owners in some areas near the project use parts of the stretch to store their materials. Some residents say the project has consumed so much money and time, and it now demands more.

‘Maintenance, a collective issue’

MOD Foundation has been involved since the beginning of the K-100 project, first as a DPR consultant and later as a project management consultant.

Amritha Ganapathy, Senior Urban Designer at MOD Foundation, says that 90% of the K-100 project has been completed, but it has not been handed over to the Greater Bengaluru Authority or any corporation. There is no estimated timeline to finish it fully.

Still, why the stench? “It is not meant for use during the rainy season because, unless the full catchment of 32 sq km is maintained equally, all road waste will wash into the drain. It can only be maintained periodically. The K-100 stretch is supposed to be usable only during dry seasons,” she replies.

“We have to look at the sewage, solid waste and stormwater together in this project. As part of this project, one 5-MLD sewage treatment plant was completed and commissioned in Kalasipalya,” Amritha explains.

Sewage connections were provided, an STP was installed, private STPs were made operational, and ETPs were installed. “We had about 130 million litres of sewage per day, which is reduced to 10 MLD,” shares Amritha.

What’s pending? “There is still an issue near Shantinagar, where rectification work is currently underway on the BWSSB line. So, there is currently a sewage inflow, but it will be fixed in a month or so,” she adds.

“Most of the project is about maintenance, from the contractors and the officials. Governance forms a big part of maintenance, without which the project can never achieve what it intends to,” she says.

The proposed office/ticket counter near Shantinagar bus stand

For now, K-100 stands as a reminder that building a project is only the first step. Keeping it alive, clean and open to people is the harder task. Without that, it has come down to people using the bridges and walking away from everything else.