BENGALURU: Bengaluru’s infrastructure came under fresh scrutiny after two prominent city residents publicly called out the poor condition of key roads, reigniting the debate over maintenance of public amenities in the city.
Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Monday took to social media to flag the deteriorating industrial corridor that stretches 7 km and is riddled with roughly 350 potholes and lacks basic footpaths. She said the stretch is a lifeline for over 1,000 industries, and blamed the Public Works Department for years of neglect. Tagging Industries Minister MB Patil in her post, she called for urgent attention and action.
Separately, in a recent FaceBook post, former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao, a resident of Brunton Cross Road, also highlighted the dismal state of roads in her neighbourhood.
She compared the present state of the city to 1966, the year she moved in here, suggesting that the infrastructure today is reminiscent of, or even worse than, that era.
The two posts amplified long standing public frustration over Bengaluru’s crumbling road infrastructure. Nirupama Rao described the road near her house as a busy two-way thoroughfare that is riddled with broken pavements, open drains and excavated parts left for long periods.
‘Roads under repair for a yr but no progress’
Nirupama Rao pointed to construction debris and garbage lying around, and hazardous walkways and poor traffic management bothering the residents.
She noted that authorities have been “repairing” the road and drainage for over a year with months of disruption, but little visible progress or accountability. She said it is a broader governance and civic management problem rather than just infrastructure deficits.
A private real estate group -- Prestige -- announced a CSR project under the “Namma Raste” programme to redevelop the stretch of Brunton Road, including resurfacing, rebuilding of footpaths and drains, and putting up a new lighting system. But the work is still going on.
Such criticism of Bengaluru infrastructure is not new. Last year too there were complaints and DK Shivakumar, who was deputy chief minister then, had responded by prioritising road repairs. He had announced that potholes would be filled and roads repaired. He had called for collective effort, instead of constant criticism.
Officials said both Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda have prioritised good roads in the city.
