No exit in sight: Bengaluru's Veerannapalya turns into ‘Super Mario’ obstacle course

Bengaluru: While the glossy glass facades of Embassy Manyata Business Park reflect Bengaluru’s technological prowess, just across the Outer Ring Road, residents of Veerannapalya are living a crumbling reality.

With a six-month road closure, rampant illegal construction and mounting garbage, the locality has become a case study in urban administrative failure.

The arterial Veerannapalya Main Road, a key link between the Outer Ring Road and RT Nagar, has been dug up for pipeline work for over half a year.

What was meant to be a temporary inconvenience has turned into a near permanent blockade, effectively landlocking thousands of residents living in over 17 apartment complexes.

“Reaching home is like playing a game of Super Mario,” said a local resident. “You have to navigate swerves, pits, jumps and sudden turns. Every day, our residents’ WhatsApp groups are flooded with one question: ‘Which way can I get home today?’”

The crisis has been compounded by the demolition of two flyover ramps at Hebbal and Veerannapalya several years ago, reportedly to facilitate smoother access to the tech park, leaving local entry and exit points in disarray.

With slip roads shut, residents approaching from the Hennur side are forced to travel an additional 8 to 10 km to Hebbal or Thanisandra simply to make a U turn.

A transportation planner who has lived in the area for decades said the problem reflects a collapse of discharge capacity at junctions. “By forcing all traffic onto the flyovers and closing service road access, they have created a system where idling engines spew pollution for hours. It is a loss of man hours and a failure of basic engineering logic,” she said, requesting anonymity.

She said reopening blocked service road access, installing a synchronised signal at the Veerannapalya junction, and creating a median opening under the flyover could ease congestion.

The neglect extends beyond roads. Sandwiched between commercial hubs, the neighbourhood now resembles a landfill, with uncollected waste from illegal buildings and paying guest accommodations lining the streets.

Prolonged pipe-laying work leaves Veerannapalya Main Road dug up for over six months.  

“Veerannapalya Main Road has become a dumpyard for everything from kitchen waste to abandoned vehicles and animal carcasses,” another resident said.

Residents allege that poor lighting, limited CCTV coverage, and antisocial activity have led to rising safety concerns.

Despite repeated representations to local MLA KJ George and MP PC Mohan, residents say the response has been disheartening. “We are taxpaying citizens asking for basic roads and safety, but officials seem to prioritise only the tech park’s interests,” a residents’ welfare association member said.

Urgent demands

Service road access from the Hennur side remains blocked. 

1. Immediate repair of roads.
2. Traffic relief measures.
3. Sanitation drive to clear garbage dump sites.
4. Action against illegal paying guest facilities and vehicle dumping.
5. Public safety measures, including CCTV coverage and stray dog management.