<p>Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is right on one count: potholes are not unique to Bengaluru. Mumbai, India’s financial capital, struggles with cratered roads; New Delhi has them too. He notes that the Centre’s support has waned. Under the UPA’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Karnataka received substantial funds for urban infrastructure. The discontinuation of the scheme by the BJP government has hurt cities like Bengaluru. He also highlights how a section of the media, politicians, and even some corporate leaders seem eager to deride Bengaluru at every opportunity. According to him, there is an ecosystem that thrives on magnifying the city’s setbacks. </p><p>Shivakumar has gone a step further by alleging that the potholes are being “politicised” and used as a conspiracy against the Congress government. Politics, however, is not unique to Bengaluru; it permeates every other city. The difference is that Bengaluru is in the spotlight because it is India’s technology hub, a city of global consequence. When its infrastructure falters, the world notices. Blaming the media or critics is to shoot the messenger instead of accepting responsibility and addressing the rot.</p>.Bengaluru-based Microland opens new corporate office in New Jersey.<p>But does this mean Bengaluru should resign itself to this state of affairs? Should the city that powers India’s IT revolution, a city that hosts hundreds of global technology firms and startups, be content to wallow in the same dysfunction that afflicts other major cities? </p><p>The answer is a resounding no. Pointing to Mumbai or Delhi does not fill the potholes on Bengaluru’s streets. The reality is that the city’s roads have been in disrepair for decades, and no party – Congress, BJP or JD(S) – has managed to fix them. </p><p>Each election brings lofty promises of a “pothole-free” city, but every monsoon exposes the emptiness of those assurances. Citing financial constraints cannot explain away decades of neglect, nor can they absolve successive state governments of their responsibility.</p>.<p>What Bengaluru needs is not more excuses but a bold reimagining of urban mobility. Building more flyovers and wider roads only encourages more cars and worsens congestion. Instead, the government must prioritise public transport: expand the metro network rapidly, make it affordable, and integrate it seamlessly with buses. </p><p>A city that leads India in innovation can certainly lead in urban solutions too. Yes, all Indian cities are broken in some measure. But Bengaluru should aspire higher. Just as Indore has become the gold standard in cleanliness, Bengaluru can and must set the benchmark for urban infrastructure. Excuses, however well-crafted, will not pave the way. Vision, commitment, and execution will.</p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</p>
<p>Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is right on one count: potholes are not unique to Bengaluru. Mumbai, India’s financial capital, struggles with cratered roads; New Delhi has them too. He notes that the Centre’s support has waned. Under the UPA’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Karnataka received substantial funds for urban infrastructure. The discontinuation of the scheme by the BJP government has hurt cities like Bengaluru. He also highlights how a section of the media, politicians, and even some corporate leaders seem eager to deride Bengaluru at every opportunity. According to him, there is an ecosystem that thrives on magnifying the city’s setbacks. </p><p>Shivakumar has gone a step further by alleging that the potholes are being “politicised” and used as a conspiracy against the Congress government. Politics, however, is not unique to Bengaluru; it permeates every other city. The difference is that Bengaluru is in the spotlight because it is India’s technology hub, a city of global consequence. When its infrastructure falters, the world notices. Blaming the media or critics is to shoot the messenger instead of accepting responsibility and addressing the rot.</p>.Bengaluru-based Microland opens new corporate office in New Jersey.<p>But does this mean Bengaluru should resign itself to this state of affairs? Should the city that powers India’s IT revolution, a city that hosts hundreds of global technology firms and startups, be content to wallow in the same dysfunction that afflicts other major cities? </p><p>The answer is a resounding no. Pointing to Mumbai or Delhi does not fill the potholes on Bengaluru’s streets. The reality is that the city’s roads have been in disrepair for decades, and no party – Congress, BJP or JD(S) – has managed to fix them. </p><p>Each election brings lofty promises of a “pothole-free” city, but every monsoon exposes the emptiness of those assurances. Citing financial constraints cannot explain away decades of neglect, nor can they absolve successive state governments of their responsibility.</p>.<p>What Bengaluru needs is not more excuses but a bold reimagining of urban mobility. Building more flyovers and wider roads only encourages more cars and worsens congestion. Instead, the government must prioritise public transport: expand the metro network rapidly, make it affordable, and integrate it seamlessly with buses. </p><p>A city that leads India in innovation can certainly lead in urban solutions too. Yes, all Indian cities are broken in some measure. But Bengaluru should aspire higher. Just as Indore has become the gold standard in cleanliness, Bengaluru can and must set the benchmark for urban infrastructure. Excuses, however well-crafted, will not pave the way. Vision, commitment, and execution will.</p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</p>
