Residents and schools in Bengaluru take responsibility and clean accident-prone road sections | Bengaluru

Residents and schools in Balagere took an unprecedented initiative last Sunday and forwent their usual breaks to address the pressing safety concerns along the Kadubeesanahalli-Varthur stretch of road. This area is notorious for its accident frequency and poses significant risks to motorists and pedestrians alike.

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This community-led action was set in motion after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru’s municipal corporation, cited financial constraints and stopped maintenance work along the road, reports said. Faced with frequent skidding by two-wheelers and heavy traffic congestion, local residents armed themselves with work gloves and started clearing a nearly three-kilometre stretch of accumulated mud, a task usually undertaken by the civic authorities.

Students, who are often held up due to the resulting traffic congestion, enthusiastically participated in the clean-up effort. A video of the residents’ clean-up effort made the rounds on social media site “X,” sparking a discussion about the duties of the city government and the allegedly substandard infrastructure currently provided to residents of the technology center.

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“Technicians in Bengaluru work for companies during the week, earn money, pay taxes and close their BBMP tickets themselves on weekends,” posted a user on ‘X’.

Responding to the proactive attitude of the citizens, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also in-charge of Bengaluru development, acknowledged the problem and directed the BBMP to take immediate remedial measures.

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“Sometimes, some lessons turn out to be the best learnings. In response to the incident involving Bengaluru residents cleaning Balagere Road, I have personally directed the concerned BBMP officials to take immediate action,” he wrote.

“The well-being and safety of the people of Bengaluru is our top priority. Therefore, BBMP has also been directed to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future,” he added.