In a move to address growing public frustration over deteriorating road conditions, the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) has announced it will undertake the restoration of roads that were excavated for the city’s ambitious 24/7 drinking water supply project.
The widespread excavation, conducted by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) through contractor L&T Construction to lay water pipelines and provide household connections, has left many city streets in poor condition.
Residents have described parts of the city as resembling “war zones,” citing hazardous trenches, uneven surfaces, and reduced road space that have become a source of daily inconvenience and safety risks.
The situation was further exacerbated by a reported lack of coordination between the involved agencies—KUIDFC, BCC, and Belagavi Smart City Limited—which resulted in even recently laid cement concrete roads being dug up for pipeline work.
Local MLA Asif Sait, who recently inspected the affected areas, confirmed that the excavation and subsequent restoration efforts by the implementing agencies did not meet prescribed standards.
“The trenches and vertical cuts on roads pose a serious threat to motorists,” Sait stated. “During a meeting with officials of BCC and KUIDFC, it was decided that immediate steps should be taken to restore the roads and prevent any untoward incidents.”
To ensure public safety, the BCC has already awarded a contract for the repair and restoration of the damaged stretches. While KUIDFC and L&T Construction were originally responsible for restoring the roads, the civic body has decided to step in due to their failure to do so adequately.
The BCC plans to recover the full expenditure incurred for these restoration works from KUIDFC and the contracted firm.
