Bengaluru: Residents of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) say the BDA township is still struggling with basic city infrastructure, flagging missing footpaths, unsafe road design, incomplete utilities and long-pending services like Cauvery water supply.In a Jan 1 letter to the agency, NPKL Open Forum said pedestrian infrastructure violates national standards, that roads and utility ducts are at the same level, and that key amenities — from smart meters to parks — remain unfinished despite residents having moved in.
Residents said they continue to highlight civic deficiencies and incomplete basic amenities. The forum flagged gaps in pedestrian infrastructure, drainage alignment, and road-level planning, noting that while roads and utilities were largely implemented, the lack of safe, standards-compliant footpaths and clear utility segregation poses daily risks, especially for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.They pointed out that utility ducts are being projected as walkways in violation of Indian Roads Congress (IRC) and the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) and complete streets guidelines. “A footpath is not leftover space,” the letter stated. National norms mandate 1.8m-wide footpaths (2.5m on busy roads), raised kerbs, obstruction-free walking zones, utilities kept outside pedestrian areas, and universal access with ramps and tactile tiles. In NPKL, roads and ducts are at the same level, kerbs are absent, vehicles encroach freely, and declaring ducts as footpaths “fails all standards”, the forum said.Residents added that essential services, such as smart meters, Cauvery connections, and parks, remain incomplete.Sridhar Nuggehalli, president, NPKL Open Forum, said: “The footpath is missing — that’s a design flaw they refuse to address, and we will not give up until it’s fixed. The new design keeps roads and utility ducts at the same level, so vehicles can enter the ‘footpath’, which should be raised to ensure pedestrian safety. Besides footpaths, electrical networks, streetlights, and water supply, parks are also incomplete or unusable. We are only asking for what the Town Planning Act mandates.”Thulasi Prasad, 59, of NPKL 6th Block, said: “We did not receive Cauvery water supply even after two years of moving into our house. Officials promised a connection within six months, but it still hasn’t come. Most houses rely on borewells with hard water, which is very difficult to manage, especially with summer coming. Electricity was provided, though some neighbours are still on temporary meters. We only moved into the house as they promised a Cauvery connection.“ Will consult experts: BDA officials“If footpaths are added by reducing the carriageway, it could lead to more accidents. Experts know what is suitable for each road, and we will follow their guidance. Roads are a combination of carriageway and footpath, so it’s a zero-sum game — widening one reduces the other. On smaller roads, authorities often skip footpaths because traffic is low and pedestrians can walk safely on the road itself. Any mistakes in execution often end up being blamed on the BDA,” a senior BDA official said.Latest progress reportAccording to BDA’s Oct 2025 progress report, the NPKL road project is 92% complete, with 257.8km finished and over 21.5km remaining. Asphalt work stands at 71% completion, with 9.6km remaining. Additionally, 92% of drains are complete (9.3 km), with over 2.3 km left to finish, and 89% of stormwater drains are complete, with just over 3km remaining. Minor bridges are 91% complete, with work pending on 98 bridges.Currently, around 100 families reside within the NPKL project, which includes over 150 houses, with ongoing construction for more. Most residents live in Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6, and the layout comprises approximately 28,000 plots in total.
