'Expectation like US, civic sense 0': Viral video of damaged vending machines at Lucknow Prerna Sthal ignites debate over public property

Vending machines installed at Lucknow’s Rashtriya Prerna Sthal have become the centre of a social media debate after a viral video showed their glass fronts shattered and food and drink items left exposed. The footage has triggered questions about how public facilities are treated after they are installed, with one visitor contrasting expectations for modern amenities with what they described as a lack of civic sense.

Lucknow Prerna Sthal vending machine viral video?

In the video, a visitor points towards the broken vending machines and questions the behaviour of people using the public space. The post argued that authorities can spend money on modern facilities, but such amenities lose their purpose when visitors do not take care of them. The vending machines were installed to provide packaged food and cold drinks to people visiting the complex. The footage has led to a mix of anger and criticism online. Some social media users described the incident as vandalism, while others said it reflected a wider problem with the way public property is treated.

Prerna Sthal opened last month

Rashtriya Prerna Sthal is one of Lucknow’s latest public attractions. The 65-acre complex was developed on land that was previously used as a landfill along the Gomti river. The site was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2025. It features large statues, a museum and open spaces intended for visitors, families and morning walkers.


The project was developed as a modern riverside landmark for Lucknow. The vending machines were among the facilities added for visitors. But the damaged machines have now shifted attention from the site's facilities to the behaviour of some people using them.

Social media debate over civic sense

The viral footage has revived an old debate on civic responsibility and public property in India. One social media user said people often demand facilities comparable with those in the United States and other Western countries, while basic responsibility towards public infrastructure remains a concern.

Another commenter pointed towards the way civic standards are discussed in Western countries and argued that incidents such as damaged public facilities reinforce that criticism. Not everyone sees the comparison in the same way. But the condition of the vending machines has become a visible example in the ongoing online discussion.

Petty damage reported earlier too

The vending machine incident is not the first controversy involving damage or theft at the complex. Reports of flower pots being stolen and other petty damage had surfaced soon after the inauguration. The latest videos have brought those earlier concerns back into the conversation.

There has been no detailed statement from city officials on the damaged vending machines so far. Rashtriya Prerna Sthal was designed as a place that people could use and enjoy. The broken vending machines have instead started a conversation about something more basic: whether public infrastructure can remain useful when the people using it do not treat it as their own.