Bengalureans push for road-cut nod as West Asia war fuels GAIL gas demand

Bengaluru: A surge in road-cutting requests — partly driven by the ongoing West Asia conflict — has placed officials of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in a challenging position, even as resident welfare associations (RWAs) continue to demand expedited completion of long-pending GAIL gas pipeline works.During a citizen interaction held Saturday at HM Tambourine Apartments on Kanakapura Road, organised by the Residents' Welfare Associations Federation and Bengaluru South City Corporation, GBA officials disclosed that they have received 171 applications from apartment complexes and residents seeking permission for road cutting to facilitate GAIL gas connections.Of these, 43 applications were rejected, while the others are still under review. Officials noted that several requests were denied because the affected road stretches fall within defect liability periods (DLP) or had been recently asphalted. Officials indicated that a shortage of asphalting material, along with the need to safeguard newly laid roads, remains a key concern. However, RWAs have been urging faster approvals, pointing to persistent delays despite much of the piped infrastructure already being in place. Residents also noted that the ongoing West Asia conflict has intensified the situation by driving up costs and increasing demand for GAIL gas connections.Authorities stated that while road-cutting permissions for GAIL and other utilities were earlier restricted due to recently asphalted roads, approvals are now being expedited. At the same time, the limited availability of asphalting material — linked to the ongoing conflict — is being taken into account in the decision-making process. KN Ramesh, commissioner of South corporation, said: "The concern earlier was that repeated road cuts would damage the surface. However, we have now decided to clear such applications. We are granting a blanket approval in principle, subject to DLP requirements. Earlier, these applications were processed in a routine manner. Now, given the increased urgency and external factors, we are treating them as priority cases."Residents also raised a range of civic and infrastructure concerns during the interaction, including damaged roads, disturbances caused by pubs, and illegal parking along Outer Ring Road.