Bad roads raise safety concerns as schools reopen in Bengaluru

With schools set to reopen this week, parents across the city raise concerns about the worsening state of roads, causing safety issues during children’s daily commute to and from school. 

Last week, Sri Kumaran Children’s Home in Mallasandra, Uttarahalli, sent out a notice to parents acknowledging the poor condition of the roads leading up to the school — muddy roads filled with several potholes. “While we continuously urge them (government bodies) to prioritise and accelerate the road work, we have no direct control over the timelines or the progress of the work,” it read, urging parents to write directly to the relevant authorities. MP Tejasvi Surya also put up a social media post, with a video depicting the bumpy commute to the school, calling out the government for not taking necessary action. 

The situation remains the same across multiple localities. Rama Krishna, a resident of Narayanaghatta in Sarjapur Hobli, plans to bring together parents in the locality to speak with local authorities about the deteriorating roads. “My daughter’s school reopens on Monday. The six-km stretch from our home to the school has potholes that are about six to eight inches deep. Muthanallur cross and Kodathi junctions are a nightmare in the morning,” he told DH. During monsoons, it takes 30 to 40 minutes to cover the six km stretch, compared to the usual 10 minutes. 

In addition to the rains, he blames the regular movement of heavy commercial vehicles for the damaged roads. “Especially water tankers. They drop huge amounts of water, and the water stagnates and destroys the roads,” he said.  

In parts of Hennur, school commute gets delayed by two to three hours during the monsoons.

“Buses that are supposed to reach the school by 8.05 am, end up reaching at 9.30 am. Sometimes, kids don’t reach home till 6 pm,” said Ashwin S K, a resident of Hanumanthappa Layout. He fears the impact of the strenuous commute on the children’s health. “The kids are so tired that they can’t concentrate in school, and they don’t even have the energy to play once they get back home,” he added. Some of the schools in the locality include Vidyashilp, VIBGYOR High School, and Euro Kids. 

Residents of HBR Layout and Kanakapura are also dealing with similar problems. “My son’s school was set to reopen last week, but we have requested that the school postpone the dates due to the heavy rains,” said Vinay J, HBR Layout resident. In Koramangala 3rd Block, pending drainage work combined with the rains is causing frequent waterlogging — with multiple schools such as St Francis High School, Reddy Jana Sangha High School, and  Chinmaya Vidyalaya located around the neighbourhood, parents are worried about driving their kids on two-wheelers through the waterlogged roads. 

A screengrab from video posted by MP Tejasvi Surya showing the road leading up to Sri Kumaran Children’s Home in Mallasandra.