Watch Video: Bengaluru residents clean up road ignored by civic body; DK Shivakumar reacts

In Bengaluru, a group of students and tech professionals decided to take matters into their own hands and clean up a hazardous stretch of Balagere Road. The road, located between Kadubeesanahalli and Varthur, had become slippery and dangerous due to silt buildup, making it unsafe for both two-wheelers and pedestrians.


Frustrated by the lack of action from the authorities, several IT engineers, college students, and even schoolchildren came together for a cleaning drive. Photos and videos posted on social media show them wearing gloves and using cleaning tools to remove the silt. This initiative came after multiple requests to the city's civic body, BBMP, were denied due to a lack of funds.


The community's efforts received widespread praise on social media. One user commented, "Techies in Bengaluru work for corporates during weekdays, earn, pay taxes, and spend their weekends fixing BBMP's neglected issues." Another user criticised the authorities, saying, "Bangalore municipal bodies should be ashamed of themselves for harassing honest tax-paying citizens."

Others expressed admiration for the volunteers' dedication. One person noted, "Just imagine how annoyed and irritated they must have been with the roadside dirt causing pollution that they took up the responsibility to clean it up instead of complaining." Another added, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also responded to the cleanliness drive. He instructed BBMP officials to take immediate action to ensure the safety of residents. He wrote on X, "Sometimes some lessons turn out to be the best learnings, and taking a cue from the incident of Bengaluru residents cleaning Balagere Road, the concerned officials at BBMP have been personally instructed by me to take immediate action. The comfort and safety of our Bengaluru residents is of priority to us, and therefore BBMP has been also instructed to ensure that no such incident is ever repeated in the future."