BENGALURU: Days after Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw criticised the city’s poor civic infrastructure, a Reddit user’s viral post has once again thrown light on Bengaluru’s crumbling roads. The post, shared on the r/bangalore subreddit, shows a large pothole near KR Road — wide and deep enough to swallow an entire bike — bizarrely covered with a couch to warn commuters.
According to the Reddit user, the couch was placed by a nearby shopkeeper who decided to use it as a makeshift safety measure. “The pothole is about half a foot deep and wide enough for a biker to fall inside with his vehicle. The couch has been placed by a shopkeeper who wasn’t using it, I assume,” the post read.
The user also noted that while traffic police had placed a barricade and cones to alert motorists, no actual repair work had been undertaken. “People just avoid the pothole and move on. Even shopkeepers nearby act indifferent — they move their trucks past it but don’t complain,” the user added, expressing frustration at the lack of civic action.
The Redditor mentioned having filed an official complaint on the Namma Bengaluru (Sahaya portal) app but said that there had been no response or remedial action so far. “I don’t have much expectation from BBMP (now the Greater Bengaluru Authority) to fix it,” they lamented, while urging citizens to raise complaints collectively for quicker resolutions.
Viral reactions online
The post quickly gained traction on social media, prompting a mix of amusement and outrage among users. Many commented on the absurdity of the situation, joking that the couch served as a “creative solution” to Bengaluru’s chronic pothole woes.
One user quipped, “That is like doing chemotherapy for cold — but it’s something, I guess, some kind of protection.” Another joked, “Modern problems require some kind of solution.”
Adding to the humour, a third user wrote, “What an idea! A two-wheeler hits the couch, the rider falls on the sofa instead of on the road. Then comes the shout, ‘Cheta, two tea!’”
A fourth user suggested that whoever covered the pothole with a couch was likely someone who had fallen victim to it earlier. “That would have been done by someone who fell into that pothole, got frustrated, and decided to cover it so another person doesn’t fall prey,” they commented.
Civic frustration grows
The viral post comes on the heels of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s strong criticism of Bengaluru’s deteriorating infrastructure. The business leader had recently taken to social media to highlight the city’s “poor roads, flooding, and lack of accountability,” urging authorities to prioritise urban management.
Her remarks drew a sharp response from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“Instead of tearing Bengaluru down, let’s build it up, together. The world sees India through Bengaluru, and we owe it to our city to rise united!”
Despite such public debates, citizens continue to highlight the same civic failures — potholes, broken drains, and waterlogging — issues that have plagued India’s tech capital for years.
Conclusion
The image of a pothole covered with a couch has turned into a symbol of Bengaluru’s urban neglect, showcasing both the city’s ingenuity and its frustration. While humour continues to dominate the online narrative, residents remain sceptical about when authorities will take real action. Until then, couches, plants, and makeshift barricades might remain Bengaluru’s unofficial pothole warning system.