Bengaluru Locals Give Agara Flyover Makeover
Bengaluru’s Agara flyover once reduced to a dust-laden dumping zone during years of metro construction has undergone a dramatic citizen-led revival, with more than 200 residents, volunteers, and civic groups joining forces to repaint and restore the stretch beneath the structure. The initiative offers a striking example of how collaborative urban stewardship can reclaim neglected public spaces and make them safer, cleaner, and more inclusive for all.
For months, the area linking HSR Layout, Koramangala, and the Outer Ring Road–Sarjapur corridor had become difficult to access. With debris piled up, open urination common, and pedestrian movement unsafe, the under-flyover zone reflected a broader pattern seen across rapidly expanding Indian metros where infrastructure works often outpace routine maintenance. According to officials involved in the operation, the locality’s poor condition was a direct fallout of prolonged metro activity, which had overwhelmed routine civic care. Under a CSR-backed initiative led by the Greater Bengaluru Authority, teams from KPMG Global Services, members of the civic collective The Ugly Indians, and volunteers from local neighbourhood groups coordinated a large-scale clean-up drive. Bengaluru South City Corporation facilitated the effort, ensuring waste removal and logistical support, while metro authorities assisted by providing safe access to the work site.
The volunteers cleaned debris, scrubbed surfaces, and repainted nearly 40 pillars in a lilac palette, giving the corridor a renewed visual identity. A civic official described the effort as “a reminder that city infrastructure is not merely functional but deeply tied to public dignity, accessibility, and everyday wellbeing”. Urban planners note that neglected under flyover spaces often become hotspots for waste dumping and unsafe activity due to limited lighting, inadequate surveillance, and unclear maintenance responsibility. Transforming such areas, they argue, contributes to safer walking environments, improves last-mile connectivity, and subtly strengthens gender-inclusive mobility especially for women who frequently avoid poorly lit stretches.
Volunteers involved in the three-hour operation shared that the experience revealed the scale of effort required to maintain public spaces. Many expressed hope that the restored flyover would now receive routine upkeep rather than episodic clean-ups. The makeover also aligns with Bengaluru’s broader shift towards creating citizen-responsive, climate-resilient neighbourhoods. Reclaiming dead spaces not only reduces urban blight but also encourages a more equitable use of land in dense corridors—an essential step towards future-ready, people-friendly cities. As metro construction continues across the city, officials emphasise that similar cooperative initiatives could help bridge the gap between infrastructure development and everyday urban experience, ensuring that public spaces remain safe, clean, and accessible to all.
Bengaluru Locals Give Agara Flyover Makeover
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