Bengaluru: Commuting on the 6km Bommasandra-Jigani industrial corridor, home to some of the city’s largest pharmaceutical and technology companies, has turned into a daily ordeal for many, with cratered roads, missing streetlights, and governance confusion pushing safety concerns to the fore. The stretch, used by thousands of industrial workers daily, also cuts through densely populated neighbourhoods with high-rise apartments and independent houses, making its neglect impossible to ignore.Residents say poor lighting and deep potholes have made the road particularly unsafe after dusk, especially for women. With streetlights defunct or missing entirely, motorists are often unable to judge the depth of potholes, leading to frequent skidding, falls, and vehicle damage.
Suresh Babu KR, a manager in the injection-moulding industry, said commuting on the stretch is a nightmare. He pointed out that the road from APC Circle to Bommasandra is riddled with potholes, with people falling almost every day. “Earlier, travelling from Srinidhi Layout to Bommasandra was manageable. Now I’ve shifted near Jigani, just 7km away, but it takes a very long time to reach because of the road’s condition. Nobody seems to be doing anything.”The Bommasandra–Jigani link road houses major companies such as Biocon, Cipla, MicroLabs, Mylan Laboratories, and HCL Technologies. Shiva Shankar HN, a labour contractor, claimed there is a lack of basic maintenance. “The road is the worst. There are no proper streetlights, nobody maintains them, and even the industrial association is not taking responsibility, despite so many big industries operating here,” he said.Industrialist Rammohan MN described the corridor as an industrial road “only in name”. He said there is virtually no drainage, making it impossible to ride even two-wheelers during monsoon. “On the 6km road, hardly 20 metres is free of potholes. The industrial association focuses only on industry-specific issues, not basic amenities, even though thousands of workers commute between 7pm and 9pm,” he said.Responding to the criticism, A Prasad of Bommasandra Industries Association said the road was earlier under the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) but has now been handed over to the public works department (PWD). “It has been declared a state highway, so there is confusion over responsibility. We have over 5 lakh people working here. We are also upset and have followed up with the authorities; the govt needs to step in decisively,” he said.PWD assistant engineer Sachin GR said a Rs 10-crore tender was already floated and awarded after the road was taken over from KIADB. He said work orders would be issued within a day or two. However, repairs will begin only after underground works by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board are completed. “That will take about three months. After that, we will lay two layers of bitumen and complete 5.5km in about 10 days. The entire work should be finished within five months,” Sachin said.Until then, commuters and residents along one of Bengaluru’s most important industrial corridors are set to be left navigating darkness, potholes and uncertainty every single day.BOXBiocon chief takes to XKiran Mazumdar-Shaw took to X to flag the long-pending issue, saying she had repeatedly raised concerns about the condition of the Bommasandra–Jigani stretch and was assured that corrective action would be taken soon. Tagging the Greater Bengaluru Authority and industries minister MB Patil, she expressed cautious optimism that the promises will finally translate into action.
