Bannerghatta Road

Anyone who has ever lived in Bangalore for a decent bit of time would know that the Bannerghatta Raod is the worst road they would ever come across in their life, leave alone in Bangalore, but the entire world! When I moved into the campus some one and half years ago, this road was not so bad- it was tolerable! But as my aunt puts it, it has reached such a state now that it has become an option to facilitate difficult deliveries! (of the birth of babies kind!)

Some hope was born three months back though, when the authorities (whoever they are- some say its the highway dept, some say its the BDA, some even say the companies in the road have a signed a contract to maintain the road..) undertook some intense activity- and a new road was built almost overnight (not quiet!) over some of the baddest stretch. As you may guess, things are back to normal today- worse as usual! And when it rains, the road becomes a true Hellway!!

1It is really pathetic that none of the big organizations that have housed their offices in this big road has taken any initiative to get it repaired- there is Honeywell, IIM, Accenture, HSBC and a few others.

But I care, because I have vested interest in the well being of this much neglected poor thingie! After all, my college is ten minutes away and none of my friends volunteer to drop me home because they are simply too afraid of taking up the Bannerghatta Road Adventure!

So, things being the way they are, I was not very surprised when the citizens of the road took it upon themselves to set things right this morning. Stones were thrown, vehicles stopped, people threatened, shops were forced to close their shutters, the traffic police terrorized and Action was demanded!

Traffic was disrupted almost for the entire first half of the day- "You either build the road or forget the road, no vehicle shall pass" was the unsaid slogan along with "Govindo, Gopalo" to heave the heavy stones to the middle of the road! Some of the few enterprising exchange students of IIM were kind enought to pitch in and help the locals too :) and they did get to shoot cute pics of Indian life for return!

My piece of contribution?

You authorities better sit up and take notice soon or we shall do this every morning - "concerned citizen of the BR"