An accident involving a school bus made the civic body realise that a major stormwater drain has been encroached upon and blocked.
Published Sep 14, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 14, 2025 | 9:00 AM
The authorities have taken up the road maintenance work after the accident. The residents were demanding the repair of roads for years.
Synopsis: The accident involving a school bus was waiting to happen. The Panathur-Balagere road in Bengaluru has been in a pathetic condition for years, with authorities providing assurances without any backup action. For the residents, life has become a nightmare as the city keeps growing without adequate infrastructure.
A day after about 20 schoolchildren had a providential escape after their bus almost toppled on the Panathur-Balagere road, the Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation discovered that the major stormwater drain passing along the road had been encroached and blocked.
The left-hand side wheels of the bus, belonging to a private school, sank into a deep, water-filled pothole on the road’s shoulder, tilting the vehicle on Friday, 12 September. Passersby and residents swung into action and brought the students out through emergency exits onto the muddy road.
The bus driver apparently did not gauge the depth of the water-filled pothole.
On Saturday, 13 September, Bengaluru East Municipal Commissioner DS Ramesh inspected the road and major stormwater drains in the area.
During the inspection, the commissioner noticed that the major stormwater drain passing along Balagere Road had been encroached and blocked, leading to waterlogging on the road during the monsoon. He directed officials to prioritise the clearing of encroachments and desilting of the drain to ensure the smooth flow of rainwater to Varthur Lake.
Referring to the spot where the school bus was stuck, he said that the adjoining compound wall falling within the required 18-metre road width has already been demolished, and road-widening work has commenced.
He stated that there was a proposal to widen the existing Panathur–Balagere Road to 18 metres. Since the land acquisition process has been ongoing, it has slowed down the widening project.
Ramesh directed the officials to expedite the land acquisition by providing TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) to property owners and to complete the road widening project on priority.
South First met residents of the area. They were a harassed lot due to the nightmarish road, dust in the air throughout the day, and crazy traffic.
Bengaluru East Commissioner visiting the Panathur–Balagere road a day after the accident.
Ravishankar, who retired from the Indian Navy and lives in the Disha Central Park apartments, said too many buildings came up in the past three years, but the infrastructure did not catch up to meet the growing requirements.
“It is not safe to walk on this road. There is no footpath, and we avoid going out. We manage by ordering everything online,” he said.
Disha Central Park is about 100 metres from the spot where the bus got stuck.
Gig workers are the most affected since they have to arrive on time, and with the present condition of roads, they suffer the most. However, the plight is seldom heard in the media.
Not just bad roads, the stretch gets flooded regularly. Ramanji from the same apartment complex said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his predecessor, Basavaraj Bommai, had visited the road and their apartment when it got flooded.
“Both visited our apartment complex and assured us that they make everything happen. But the roads are still the same,” he said.
The section of the Panathur–Balagere road, where repairs have been taken up.
Ramanji was one of the people who rushed to the aid of the schoolchildren. He was waiting for his children’s school bus at the apartment’s gate when the accident occurred.
“Because of the stagnant water on the road and no barricades in place to indicate the sides of the road, the driver could not judge where the road was. He tried to overtake another bus and drove into the drain,” he said.
He added that the residents had contacted a few local leaders, who assured them that the maintenance work would be done soon. “We are repeatedly getting this assurance,” he added.
The story has been the same for the past five years. Each time the skies open up, the residents ride tractors to their apartments. Around ₹40 lakh has been spent so far repairing the damage in their apartment complex.
Ramanji, a nearby resident, was among the first responders on Friday.
Sujatha, a techie residing in the complex, pointed at the extra-large humps at the entrance. “It is to prevent rainwater from entering,” she said. “We have used tractors to enter the apartment, and hence these inclines were constructed to keep us safe.”
The residents face another issue, also. The bad condition of the road keeps cab drivers away. Sujatha, who works just 2-3km away, often walks to work since no cabs or autorickshaws come to their apartment.
Ayub, an autorickshaw driver, explained why he avoids the area. “When it rains, the road gets flooded. How many times should we tell the government? If we do not pay taxes, we are fined. Why can’t they be held responsible for the mess they have created?” he asked.
He said that the school bus driver could not be blamed for the incident since the road has been in a mess for a long time.
Another resident, Suman, is confused. He did not understand why the government was taking so many years to fix the road.
Suman is confused over how the authorities, who cited a lack of funds, get the money soon after an accident.
Each time we ask them, we are told that they do not have the required funds. When an incident takes place, funds are released. How does this happen? What kind of governance is this? Are we not paying taxes? If we do not pay, they will threaten us. Who will threaten them if they do not do their work?” he asked, not expecting any answer.
He added that many vehicles get stuck regularly on this stretch due to the horrible road conditions. The residents said the road repair works began soon after the accident involving the school bus.
Jagadish Reddy, Co-Founder, Varthur Rising, said that the area lacks proper drainage systems, troubling the people during the rainy season.
“We have demanded a moratorium on development in this area because the infrastructure is so limited. It is unmaintainable. People are shifting to this place regularly. Every month or so, an apartment complex is opened. But there are no basic facilities except for electricity,” he said.
Reddy, however, expressed hope that things would fall in place once the Greater Bengaluru Authority gets cracking.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
