After repeated requests went unanswered, residents of Railway Parallel Road in Panathur pooled ₹3 lakh to carry out temporary repairs on a heavily flooded stretch.
The residents said they initially approached officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), who shifted responsibility, claiming the road fell under railway jurisdiction and that attempts to get action from railway authorities did not yield results, leaving citizens to address the problem themselves.
The residents told The Hindu that their actions followed a recent incident involving a four-year-old boy who fell into an open drainage channel. He escaped without injuries. The residents said such incidents have become increasingly common and highlight the problems they face due to the condition of the road.
“The road is filled with deep potholes, and parts of it are often flooded. Exposed sewage lines are an additional hazard. This has made it a difficult and dangerous trip for people who rely on this road for their daily commute to the IT corridor. According to GBA officials, while they consider the road to be the Railway Department’s responsibility, they still re-route and designate it as the only commuting route during their own construction projects,” Darshana Mahadevan, a resident said.
“Every day, at least a few two-wheelers skid or fall. Walking is risky, and vehicles often get stuck. Ambulances and school buses face delays almost every day. We paid ₹3 lakh from our pockets and an additional ₹30,000 to hire JCB machines to make the road passable, despite already paying taxes. While temporary repairs have improved access, such incidents are witnessed regularly and reflect a larger issue of civic accountability,” Madhu M.S., a software engineer, said.
He added that the East Corporation committees have reportedly been approached multiple times, but officials including the Commissioner have claimed the road does not fall under their jurisdiction. Civic bodies must take responsibility for constructing a permanent drainage system and reconstructing the road to ensure safety and prevent recurring flooding, he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Balagere-Panathur, including children, held a protest on Saturday, highlighting the poor state of roads. They described navigating the area as ‘walking on non-existent roads,’ with infrastructure so degraded that it is often difficult to identify where roads actually exist.
Published – October 18, 2025 09:48 pm IST
