Frustrated by bureaucratic delays, several techies and residents of Bengaluru took to the streets to clean a hazardous stretch of Balagere Road between Kadubeesanahalli and Varthur. This busy road had become a danger zone due to silt build-up, causing frequent skids for two-wheelers and posing risks to pedestrians.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had abandoned maintenance of the road, citing a lack of funds. Consequently, the community, including IT engineers, techies, and school children, donned gloves and armed themselves with cleaning tools to tackle nearly 3 kilometers of silt build-up that occupied an entire lane in both directions.
Social media users praised the residents for their proactive efforts and criticized the civic management. One user highlighted the irony by stating, “Techies in Bengaluru work for corporates on weekdays, earn, pay tax, and self-close BBMP tickets on weekends,” sharing a video of the drive.
The residents’ initiative quickly went viral on social media, drawing the attention of authorities, including the Chief Minister’s Office and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. In response, Shivakumar tweeted that he had instructed BBMP officials to take immediate action to ensure the safety of residents. He emphasized that the comfort and safety of Bengaluru residents are a priority and instructed BBMP to prevent such incidents in the future.
Although BBMP sent a mechanized sweeping machine, it managed to clear only 500 meters of the road before the residents took over. Even after they had cleared the road, the residents claimed that BBMP did not send a tractor to haul away the silt.
