Activists say the problem is systemic — a result of poor planning, lack of coordination between civic bodies, and substandard materials.
Published Oct 29, 2025 | 3:26 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 29, 2025 | 3:26 PM
Pothole-ridden roads in Bengaluru.
Synopsis: With just two days left for the deadline set by the Karnataka chief minister to make Bengaluru “pothole-free”, the roads in the city tell their own story. Across the city, potholes continue to dot the streets, with the recent rains only deepening the crisis. Citizens and activists say little has changed on the ground.
Days ahead of the Karnataka Congress government’s deadline of 31 October to make Bengaluru “pothole-free”, the roads in the city tell their own story.
Across stretches from Kengeri and Kanakapura Road to Koramangala, HSR Layout, and the outer zones of Bellandur, Electronic City, and Sarjapur, potholes continue to dot the streets, with the recent rains only deepening the crisis.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had set the deadline for pothole repairs across the city’s five corporation limits in September. The announcement came amid growing public anger and criticism from prominent industry leaders, including Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, who have repeatedly flagged the city’s crumbling infrastructure.
The tipping point came after BlackBuck CEO Rajesh Yabaji posted on X about his employees’ daily struggles commuting through Bellandur, stating that it was time to relocate. The government machinery immediately stirred into action, directing emergency road works across the city.
With the 31 October deadline nearing, citizens and activists from across the city say little has changed on the ground.
While road repair works began following the chief minister’s directions, the materials used to fill potholes — basic cement, sand, and gravel — were of such poor quality that they didn’t withstand even a single spell of rain.
An unresolved complaint registered on the app.
“Gravel has been dumped into some potholes near Whitefield, but it scatters as soon as vehicles pass over it. The roads need proper bituminous repair, not just a quick fix with grit, to prevent further damage,” a Whitefield resident said.
Another resident who commutes daily from the Medahalli underpass to Kurudusonnenahalli (Bengaluru East) said that travelling on this stretch has left him with persistent back pain. “It has been like this for the past three years,” he said.
Similarly, Nair, another commuter on the same route, explained that the potholes become nearly invisible during heavy rains, posing a serious risk to motorists.
Earlier this month, Nair lodged a complaint on the Bengaluru Smart City app after uploading photos of the deep, crater-sized potholes in the area. However, the issue remains unresolved. The status of the grievance complaint is still marked as ‘registered’.
In September 2025, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, while responding to the growing criticism of Bengaluru’s roads, said, “Has anyone in this country asked citizens to take a picture of the pothole when they see one and send it to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)? Has anyone done that? We have done it in Bengaluru.” He added that officials are examining the thousands of complaints received so far.
However, several residents that South First spoke to said that their complaints on the app had still not been addressed.
Convent road in Bengaluru.
The situation is equally dire along the Outer Ring Road, the corridor that triggered the government’s recent push after tech firms threatened to shift operations. “Nothing has improved. My commute is the same nightmare every day,” said Vijay, an IT employee working in an office along the ORR.
Recalling an incident where he was riding his two-wheeler to go to the office, Vijay said his bike got stuck in a pothole last week. “It was covered up with loose stones. I thought I could go over it. I didn’t have another option because there were so many vehicles on the road, so I had no space to manoeuvre,” he said.
In Electronic City, residents describe the roads as “deadly,” especially for school-going children.
“My kids travel from Chandapura to Anekal every day. They refuse to go to school on some days because of how rough the journey is,” said Tharuni, a resident who shared a video of a school bus navigating deep potholes on a muddy, waterlogged stretch.
Her fears are not unfounded. In September alone, two school buses carrying students got stuck on the Balagere–Panathur stretch. On 12 September, a school bus carrying 20 children was almost toppled due to waterlogging and crater-ridden roads. On 19 September, another minivan carrying 20 children got stuck in a pothole in the area.
Activists say the problem is systemic — a result of poor planning, lack of coordination between civic bodies, and substandard materials.
Kengeri in Bengaluru.
“The city doesn’t have a proper mechanism to fix potholes. It is both a management and an engineering failure,” said Sandeep Anirudhan, an environmentalist. Activists had hoped that the creation of the new GBA would make it easier for citizens to raise grievances directly with local officials and that the corporation would respond swiftly with corrective action. However, this is yet to turn into reality.
Meanwhile, accidents due to potholes continue to be reported from Bengaluru.
Four days ago, Priyanka, a bank employee, was killed after a speeding truck ran over her when the bike she was riding pillion on skidded on a badly maintained road at Huskur–Makali in Madanayakanahalli. The police are conducting a detailed investigation to determine whether the road condition was directly responsible for the accident. However, Opposition leaders from the BJP were quick to point fingers at the Congress.
In September 2025, a college student died after a tipper truck knocked her down and crushed her while she was trying to avoid a pothole near Budigere Cross. Residents in the area had then lamented that their complaints about the poor condition of roads in the area had fallen on deaf ears.
In fact, for the fourth year in a row, Bengaluru topped the list of reported deaths caused due to negligence by civic agencies, according to a recent report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This list also included deaths due to potholes.
On 21 October, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had once again directed officials of the GBA to at least lay a layer of asphalt wherever possible to ensure that roads remain motorable. He admitted that incessant rains had slowed down the repair works.
Shivakumar, in a post on X on 14 October, stated that ₹1,100 crore had been sanctioned for road repairs. Over 10,000 potholes had been identified and over 5000 have already been fixed on priority, he said.
Bengaluru has given opportunities, identity, and success to millions – it deserves collective effort, not constant criticism.
Yes, challenges exist, but we’re addressing them with focus and urgency. ₹1,100 crore has been sanctioned for road repairs, 10000+ potholes identified,…
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) October 14, 2025
However, urban expert and scientist Ashwin Mahesh had earlier told South First that putting a number on potholes doesn’t address the deeper problem of how roads are being built in the city. “Why were so many potholes there in the first place – is the question we should be asking,” he said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
