Residents in Bengaluru’s Haralur and Marsur held peaceful protests on Gandhi Jayanti, demanding action on damaged roads, missing footpaths, garbage accumulation, sewage overflow and stalled drainage and road projects.
In Haralur, southeast Bengaluru, nearly 200 residents from Kasavanahalli ward joined a community walk along Haralur Road carrying placards that read, “Not a protest for privilege, a walk for basics.” Residents said the area was facing broken footpaths, poor road conditions, overflowing sewage, garbage blackspots and worsening traffic congestion.
The residents had submitted a petition to their MLA on Wednesday seeking daily doorstep garbage collection, improved waste management, better roads and faster underground drainage connectivity. They said the drainage work was needed to prevent sewage from entering stormwater drains and lakes.
“We’re paying taxes to breathe in toxic smoke and wade through raw sewage. This is a direct threat to our children’s health,” resident Rupal said, according to the report. Another resident, Ricky Saraf, said people continued to face poor roads, garbage accumulation and long traffic jams despite paying taxes.
The protest highlighted the overlap between Bengaluru’s everyday mobility and utility problems. Residents linked road and footpath conditions with traffic congestion, while also pointing to the consequences of inadequate waste collection and drainage infrastructure in neighbourhoods experiencing sustained residential growth.
In Marsur gram panchayat in south Bengaluru, residents organised a cleanliness drive near Chandapura railway gate to draw attention to poor roads. Sixteen residents, along with five sponsors, collected more than 30kg of roadside garbage.
Led by resident George Joseph, the group issued a symbolic challenge to authorities: for every 10kg of garbage collected by citizens, 1km of road should be repaired. Based on the quantity collected, residents demanded repairs to at least 3km of road.
Residents said Marsur, which they described as home to more than 15 apartment complexes and around 15,000 families, had not seen meaningful road repairs in six years despite repeated representations. They also said a road project worth Rs 3.6 crore, sanctioned several months ago, had yet to make progress on the ground.
The events in the two locations placed basic municipal services at the centre of public action. In Haralur, residents sought improvements across waste collection, roads and underground drainage. In Marsur, the cleanliness drive was used to press for road repairs and accountability over a sanctioned project.
The residents’ demands now await responses from the relevant authorities, including action on the petition submitted to the Haralur-area MLA and progress on the Rs 3.6-crore road project cited by Marsur residents.
