Video Producer: Navya Singh
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
Bad roads and potholes in Bengaluru have angered citizens who have challenged Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to visit parts of the city and take a look at the ‘mess’.
People in the city have asked Bommai to fix potholes, lack of streetlights, and flooding of roads.
A Twitter handle 'BangaloreRepair' tweeted, "Dear Mr B Bommai, we challenge you to come with us on a tour of Bangalore and realise what the citizens are going through. From pothole-ridden roads to no street lights, from dusty air to garbage-laden roads. Your day, your time, your vehicle. Just our pit stops and destinations."
“Your day, your time, your vehicle. Just our pit stops and destinations."
"Residents Ask, 'Where are the Roads?'
Residents from different parts of the city have flooded social media with visuals of ‘death traps’ on roads, foul smell and garbage menace near their homes. They have also complained of broken footpaths.
Residents and activists in the city also performed ‘road pujas’ to bring the poor condition of roads to light and remind the authorities to take action.
Bad roads and potholes in Bengaluru have always been a concern and the lack of accountability by the authorities has worsened the problem, an activist said.
Visuals shared by netizens on Twitter show buses plying on broken roads, elderly residents walking on broken footpaths and residents complaining of garbage and pig menace in their area.
'BBMP Should be Blamed for Negligence'
The Quint reached out to experts and residents in Bengaluru to get their perspective on the poor infrastructure in the city.
“BBMP needs to be blamed for their negligence,” Professor M N Sreehari, traffic advisor and consultant told The Quint.
Sreehari also accused BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) for using bad material, construction, planning and design.
Speaking to The Quint, Sandeep Anirudhan, Founder of Citizens' Agenda for Bengaluru said that there is, “No coordination in planning, problem solving or accountability.”
He also questioned if there is a political will to solve issues.
Young Girl Offers Savings to Mend Potholes
While the youth protested against bad infrastructure in Bengaluru, a young girl offered her savings to fix potholes in the city.
A 7-year-old girl, Dhavani, made a video appeal to CM Bommai to mend the potholes in the city.
She asked, "Please get these potholes fixed. They have become death traps. Many people are losing lives. Their families are orphaned. Who will take care of their families?"
BBMP Pushes Deadlines, Blames Rain
Civic authorities or the BBMP officials have missed several deadlines to fill up potholes.
Revenue Minister R Ashoka had set 10 October as deadline for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to complete repairing the potholes. However, the civic authority failed to stick to the deadline and blamed "heavy rains” for the delay.
This is what seems to have prompted the campaign challenging CM Bommai. But will the Chief Minister respond to the challenge?
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