Panathur-Balagere residents in Bengaluru protest poor infrastructure

Bengaluru: Residents of the Panathur-Balagere area took to the streets over the weekend to protest the sorry state of local infrastructure.

Despite being surrounded by international schools and tech companies, the Panathur-Balagere stretch of the Outer Ring Road has long been criticised for lacking basic amenities.

A video of tech professionals wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the message “I paid taxes for a road, not for a roller coaster”, dancing on the streets and marking potholes with rangoli colours, went viral on social media.

Ranjith Warrier, a regular commuter on the stretch, said, “This is one of the areas from where the government collects the highest property taxes. Yet, what we get in return is potholes, sewage, stinking canals, and dust. Once it starts raining, this area turns into a nightmare. Vehicles getting stuck or slipping off the road is a regular occurrence.”

Clement Jayakumar of the Mahadevapura Taskforce said that they are currently awaiting tender approval for the repair work to begin.

He added that the 4.5 km stretch from Panathur to Balagere has been a longstanding concern for residents and daily commuters, especially after the flooding near the Panathur Railway Under Bridge in 2022.