When official channels failed, civilians in Bengaluru joined forces to address a dangerous situation on Balagere Road. According to India Today, a group of technology enthusiasts and local residents came together to tackle the issue.
Bengaluru techies, students team up to fix pothole-ridden road
Driven by a strong sense of community, on June 25, 2024, a group of tech workers and local residents in Bengaluru joined forces to tackle the dangerous conditions on a troublesome section of Balagere Road.
This vital road connecting Kadubeesanahalli with Varthur had become hazardous due to the build-up of silt, resulting in frequent accidents involving motorcyclists and posing a threat to pedestrians.
The Bangalore municipal agency, BBMP, failed to maintain the road due to financial constraints. Instead of waiting for the government to act, the local community took matters into their own hands.
IT engineers, technology experts, and school students used gloves and cleaning tools to clear nearly 3 kilometres of silt from a lane in both directions.
A video showcasing the cleanup campaign was shared on X. The caption read: “On weekdays, Bengaluru’s techies work for corporates, earn and pay taxes, and on weekends, they resolve BBMP’s issues on their own.”
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The community’s strong commitment to civic duty was well-received on social media. People praised the residents for their proactive approach to this grassroots initiative.
Fed-up of inaction, Aarey locals fix potholes themselves
This wasn’t an isolated incident. On September 22, 2023, frustrated by the authorities’ inaction in repairing a road full of potholes from Aarey Market to Royal Palms, citizens, including seniors in the area, took matters into their own hands and started temporary road repairs, as reported by Mid-Day.
Many of the internal roads were in poor condition, with many potholes and uneven surfaces. This caused a lot of inconvenience for people living in 28 tribal hamlets and cattle farm owners.
Residents and motorists in Royal Palms and Mayur Nagar have been complaining about the state of the roads. They reported over 200-300 potholes, posing a significant risk to people travelling on them.
There were numerous instances of vehicle breakdowns and accidents involving two-wheelers. Even cab and auto-rickshaw drivers refused to take passengers towards Royal Palms due to the poor road conditions.
Sonal Ranade, who lives in Aarey, mentioned that they, as senior citizens, pooled together Rs 5,500 to buy small stones and bricks to fill in the potholes. They managed to cover a 100-meter stretch, filling in six large potholes, and they aimed to keep up this effort until all the potholes were filled.
According to Advocate Satyam Ganji, the local residents had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Bombay High Court concerning the state of the roads in Aarey. Following this, on August 2, 2023, the court ordered the formation of a committee to inspect the condition of the streets in the area.
Ganji stated that the roads were in such poor condition that during a disaster, emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire department vehicles couldn’t reach the residents of Aarey.
Even auto-rickshaws and cab drivers would refuse to offer their services. They requested that civic, high court and Mantralaya officials visit and verify the facts mentioned.
Ganji mentioned that the municipal corporation needed to follow the court’s instructions. Therefore, the citizens started repairing the potholes, spending their money. He pointed out that they had filed a contempt notice in court against the officials for ignoring the court’s orders from August 2.
Aarey Colony resident Rupesh Shukla mentioned that some potholes were so deep that the bottoms of cars scraped against the road surface. He pointed out that this situation led to vehicles breaking down multiple times.
He also noted that the roads were hazardous for two-wheeler riders, especially during the monsoon when potholes filled with water. He highlighted that the condition of the roads had deteriorated over the past six months.
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Shukla said that the Public Works Department and the municipal corporation had ignored the issue. He mentioned that walking or driving on the roads was impossible, and even school buses either refused to enter the area or charged excessively due to the poor road conditions.
That day, the Bombay High Court ordered the formation of a committee to address the issue.
No taxes if we have to fix roads ourselves
A similar incident occurred in Bengaluru on August 20, 2023. Frustrated with almost a decade of poor infrastructural development in Chikkanayakanahalli, residents of East Bengaluru initiated a new campaign called ‘No Development, No Taxes’.
Citizens said the decision was made after they had to pay themselves to repair the roads in the area. After witnessing multiple accidents, residents of East Bengaluru took matters into their own hands, spending nearly Rs 50,000 to fix the roads themselves.
They attributed these accidents, some of which were serious, to the potholes and deteriorated sections of the roads. The residents then questioned the utility of their tax payments in light of the need for action from officials and MLAs.
Arif Mudgal from Citizens Movement in East Bengaluru mentioned to the Bengaluru Mirror that government officials and elected representatives needed to perform their duties. He stated that the complete road hadn’t been asphalted for over 10 years and had developed numerous potholes in the last 1.5 years, leading to several accidents.
The community decided to take matters into their own hands to fix the roads after their requests to the officials proved ineffective. According to Mudgal, MLAs claimed funding had been halted, and panchayat officials argued that residents should contact the Public Works Department (PWD). At the same time, the PWD continually cited a lack of funds.
He mentioned that they were motivated to act quickly after four recent accidents. Without waiting to collect funds, he personally paid for the necessary repairs.
The total cost for repairing and hiring a concrete mixer truck was Rs 46,000. Moreover, they incurred an additional Rs 1,200 daily for a water tanker to wet the concrete for 15 days.
Residents of the area reported that some accidents along their route caused severe injuries, including back and leg injuries. They also decided to apply a wet mix to the stretch of road from Sarjapura to Chikkanayakanahalli. They agreed with a contractor to start the work for Rs 14,000.
The repairs and the acquisition of a concrete mixer truck cost Rs.46,000. Additionally, there was a daily expense of Rs.1,200 to hire a water tanker to moisten the concrete for 15 days. The residents mentioned that they were considering not paying their taxes for a year.
He suggested that by not paying taxes for one year and giving citizens control, we could address our problems. Many residents backed this plan. He proposed that the money from one year’s taxes could be used to construct quality roads, footpaths, and drainage systems.
This proposal was also submitted to the Panchayat, hoping to catch the state government’s attention.
