Garbage dumped on the roadside. | Photo credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
Amid the growing demand for vacant space in the city and soaring house rents in Bengaluru, many plots in the suburbs are witnessing rapid, unprecedented conversion to residential layouts. However, the infrastructure remains below average.
One such example is the development of the layout behind Electronics City Phase 2, including Anantanagar and the areas around Heelalige village on the south-eastern outskirts of the city. Although the area has expanded rapidly in the last decade, road conditions continue to lag.
Recently, nearly 1,000 residents of the area, including school children, took to the streets and demanded improvements to basic infrastructure. They also submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar of Anekal.
Against the backdrop of such a large-scale protest, The Hindu visited the area, covering a five-km radius around Heelalige, which includes layouts like Anantanagar, Sampige Nagar and Glass Factory Layout. Anantanagar in particular is growing fast and developing in multiple phases.
However, all these layouts suffer from insufficient equipment. The connecting roads are either muddy or full of large craters, and garbage is strewn along the stretches, revealing inefficient waste management.
The infrastructure is collapsing
For example, Singena Agrahara Road, which connects Huskur Road and Dommasandra–Chandapura Road, has become unrepairable and needs complete repair. Garbage can be seen throughout the section, some even burnt. Drainage systems along most roads remain half-constructed, causing water to overflow into the streets. Almost all the roads are bumpy and do not offer a smooth commute.
According to residents, accidents have increased over the years.
Rajashekar Rajendran, a resident of Glass Factory Layout who commutes to Brookefield daily, has fallen victim to this poor infrastructure. “In February, I slipped and fell while returning home from office on my bike due to the deplorable condition of the road. I had to undergo surgery and now I have a metal plate in my right shoulder,” he told The Hindu, adding that he is yet to fully recover.
Veena Reddy, another resident, said, “It has been five years since the roads here were properly asphalted. The ones that were tarred deteriorated within a few months or after a single rain.” Abhishek, a technician working at Electronics City, described his daily struggle. “It is very difficult to drive on these roads and the traffic has become unbearable recently. As the roads are bumpy and full of potholes, I have started getting back pain and back pain before I reach home,” he told The Hindu.
Extensions and Bounties
Despite many problems, the suburb grew rapidly. Anantanagar in particular is growing and new areas are emerging. Several builders, many of them relatively lesser known, have started building new apartment complexes that are now visible almost every kilometer.
Until recently, there was no residents’ association to push for the development, but a new one is forming after last week’s protest. The resulting list shows that there are more than 50 apartment complexes in the area. The rent for 1BHK units ranges from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000, making the area accessible to a wide range of residents. However, water supply is entirely dependent on boreholes and tankers, and the constant movement of these tankers contributes to traffic congestion.
The area is also accessible from Huskur and Hebbagodi metro stations and Heelalige railway station, where six trains stop daily (three each in the morning and evening).
However, reaching these transportation points remains a challenge. J. Vijayalakshmi, who works in central Bengaluru and uses the metro, said she barely takes a bus or autorickshaw to her home, which is 3 km from the Huskur metro station.
“It takes me a little over an hour to get to Huskur from Majestic by metro. But it takes another hour from the station to my house,” she said, pointing out the poor condition of the roads. “The autorickshaw drivers are refusing rides because the road is so damaged and the traffic is terrible,” she added.
Irregular and limited bus services add to the residents’ problems. These problems eventually prompted residents to form an association and protest for basic amenities.
Despite the poor roads and limited bus service, the area is well connected by the metro and rail network. Most importantly, its south-eastern location gives it road access to all major technology hubs: Outer Ring Road, Bellandur, Whitefield, Varthur and Electronics City, all within an hour’s reach.
As the location continues to develop, rents remain affordable and the neighborhood is not yet overcrowded. There are also several shopping centers nearby. If the area is properly developed, a significant share of car traffic from the city center is likely to move here.
Published – 03 Dec 2025 20:42 IST
