Shop owners grapple with incomplete, sluggish civic works at Nagawara

Bengaluru: Incomplete civic works and the sluggish pace of execution by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have severely disrupted life and business on Nagawara Main Road.

Shopkeepers, many of whom have operated here for decades, are grappling with falling sales, health hazards, and rising traffic congestion.

For over four months, ongoing sewage and water pipeline works have left roads dug up, drains overflowing, and store access blocked. “Stores are shutting. There is dust everywhere,” said Rajnish Gupta, a gas station worker.

Business owners report a sharp drop in customer footfall due to foul odour, stagnant water, and a lack of parking and accessibility.

'Worst in 40 years' 

Philip Kumar, a store owner, called it the “worst situation in 40 years”, blaming the absence of accountability from civic officials. “They don’t finish work in one part before starting another,” he said.

Longstanding traders like Syed Shoaib, a scooter shop owner, said his and many other stores have had no business for the last two to three months.

With no end in sight, shopkeepers claim their complaints to the BBMP have gone unanswered.

Others, like Sheikh Elias, have spent thousands of rupees on temporary barriers to block out dust. “There’s no one to call. No contractor. No help from the traffic police, too,” he added.

The impact on health has also surfaced.

Mohammad Salim, a store owner, was hospitalised for two days with a gastric infection, forcing his shop to shut temporarily. He pointed out that construction debris has remained uncleared for over 18 days, worsening conditions.

While a few, like Syed Farhaz, a meat shop owner, stay hopeful about long-term improvements, most remain deeply frustrated. Locals are urging civic authorities and MLA AC Srinivas to intervene and complete the works before more livelihoods are lost.