Viral bus video prompts urgent action on Panathur-Balagere road

Bengaluru, September 13, 2025: 

D.S. Ramesh, Commissioner of the Bengaluru East City Corporation, conducted an extensive inspection on Saturday of the Panathur-Balagere Road.

The inspection follows a recent incident in Mahadevapura, where a private school bus got stuck in a roadside drain along the Panathur-Balagere main road, which went viral on social media, calling attention of authorities including elected representatives.

Addressing the situation, Commissioner Ramesh reviewed plans to widen the Balagere Road to 18 meters. While the project had been delayed due to land acquisition hurdles, he confirmed that the required land will be acquired through the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) scheme and instructed officials and contractors to accelerate the widening work.

At the incident site, the adjacent compound wall that obstructed the road has been removed, and widening work has already begun.

During the inspection of major stormwater drains along Balagere Road, the Commissioner observed encroachments causing water stagnation, particularly problematic during the ongoing monsoon season.

He directed officials to remove these obstructions and ensure smooth drainage into Varthur Lake.

In line with his directives, eviction drives were carried out across high-density corridors in the city corporation, targeting pedestrian path encroachments, unauthorized hoardings, advertisement boards, and illegal cables. Additionally, an encroached Civic Amenity (C.A.) site in AECS Layout, Mahadevapura, was cleared under the Commissioner’s supervision.

The inspection and enforcement operations were conducted with the support of Additional Commissioner (Revenue) Dr. Dakshayini K., Chief Engineers, Executive Engineers, and other city officials.