BENGALURU: Bengaluru-based Canadian expat Caleb Friesen, who has garnered a cult online following for revealing the issues of the city through a transparent lens, uploaded a video on December 21 that reveals the conditions of footpaths in Indiranagar. Following the video, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) fixed the stretch on Tuesday, showing before-and-after pictures in a post shared on X.
Friesen had also submitted a grievance report on the Bengaluru Smart City website, and shared on Monday that he was awaiting resolution of the same. The video posted on Instagram shows Friesen walking with his little son on the footpaths of Double Road in Indiranagar, near Nerlu Cafe.
“Footpaths are damaged beyond repair, encroached by potted plants, trees, and vehicles, and generally just unwalkable,” reads Friesen’s caption of the video. The child struggles to navigate the obstructions, with Friesen having to keep swinging his son over glaring gaps in the structure that give way to the trash-laden drain below it.
The post invited a slew of comments. According to a screenshot of the grievance shared by Friesen, the case was assigned to GBA assistant engineer Syed Safeer Ahmed.
Friesen’s social media activism has previously prompted corrective action from the GBA, most recently in September near the Majestic bus stand after Friesen uploaded a video highlighting the condition of footpaths in the area.