Bengaluru roads: Netizens rap BBMP over pothole menace
A tidal wave of frustration sweeping across Bengaluru’s commuters has found a loudspeaker on social media. From X (formerly Twitter) users to Facebook groups, citizens are sharing alarming accounts of neglected roads—crammed with treacherous potholes, broken manholes, uneven patches, and botched repairs.
Not just Whitefield and Mahadevapura, key tech corridors connecting to major IT hubs, are emerging as epicenters of concern, even Bengaluru’s central business district is in shambles.
Commuters report abandoning two-wheelers altogether; “About 90 % of the IT crowd takes cars out only because of the road condition,” says one X user. Despite Mahadevapura accounting for roughly Rs 1,310 crore in property tax, locals say their complaints remain unanswered.
Recently, a 43-year-old Richmond Town resident, Dhivya Kiran sent a legal notice to the BBMP, demanding ₹50 lakh in compensation for chronic neck pain, sleep loss, and trauma from commuting on “treacherous roads”.
A Facebook post by ‘Logical Indian’ revealed at least 20 reported accidents this year due to pothole-ridden roads. Pages such as “Intolerant2potholes” are gaining traction, urging citizens to escalate pressure on the civic agencies. Another Facebook clip showcased metal sheets covering holes on Nagwara service road—yet, riders say such makeshift fixes only make conditions worse.
Bengaluru’s crumbling roads are not just ruining vehicles and risking lives — they are choking the city’s already overburdened traffic system.
Stretches like Outer Ring Road, Whitefield, KR Puram, Mahadevapura, and Bannerghatta Road have turned into virtual parking lots during peak hours
Fear of accidents due to hidden ditches and uneven surfaces has discouraged two-wheeler use.
Hashtags like #FixBangaloreRoads and #PotholeCity are trending, as viral clips showcase vehicles stuck in pothole-induced jams or dangerously skidding on broken patches.
Dy CM DK Shivakumar has promised to inspect the city in a two-wheeler to assess the condition of roads.
The crumbling state of Bengaluru’s roads underscores systemic issues within civic administration. The BBMP is run by a set of bureaucrats and directly controlled by the state government in the absence of an elected body. Both civic experts and citizens alike are calling for radical reforms including suspension of concerned engineers and black-listing of contractors responsible for the job.