Work stalls on Okalipuram rail underpass in Bengaluru; debris, sewage pile up

Bengaluru: The incomplete stretch of the railway underpass at Okalipuram — part of Bengaluru’s proposed eight-lane signal-free corridor — has fallen into neglect, turning into a dumping ground for debris, weeds and contaminated water.

The junction lies next to Majestic, the city’s busiest transport hub, yet the project now appears abandoned.

Nearly three years ago, the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in coordination with the South Western Railway (SWR), had taken up construction of a four-lane railway underpass after completing several works at the junction, including flyovers and a similar four-lane underpass. The aim was to ease traffic movement between Majestic and Magadi Road, Rajajinagar and Malleswaram.

While SWR has completed the portion involving the laying of concrete box segments beneath the live railway line, the approach roads and parts of the work below the track remain unfinished.

The site is now strewn with debris, while dark green contaminated water has accumulated below the track, turning the area into a potential mosquito breeding ground.

Regular commuters say the work appears to be dragging on indefinitely.

Construction debris piled up in front of the Okalipuram railway underbridge.

“Work on the Okalipuram corridor seems to go on forever even though it is located right next to the railway divisional office and the City Railway Station,” said Tejaswi KR, a frequent commuter on the stretch. “The BBMP does not seem to care about deadlines, and people have almost given up hope.”

The project, which began in 2014–15, slowed down significantly after the BBMP was split into multiple corporations. The responsibility for the work has since been transferred to the Bengaluru Central City Corporation, and engineers overseeing the project have also changed.

“We inspected the site recently. Some pipeline-related work is pending, and the railways have also not fully completed their portion,” a corporation engineer said.

Senior officials of the South Western Railway did not respond to calls.

Unlike the stalled Ejipura flyover project, the incomplete work at Okalipuram has drawn little public criticism as traffic between Majestic and Magadi Road continues to move, albeit with delays.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Health Minister and MLA representing the Gandhinagar constituency, said he would review the project and work towards restarting it.