A school bus carrying 52 students and two teachers became stuck in slush on Bengaluru’s Kodathi-Avalahalli road on Thursday morning after heavy rain, forcing the school to send additional buses while half-yearly examinations were under way.
The affected stretch, which runs alongside the Central Silk Research Centre, became muddy and slippery following rain on Wednesday. The road is used daily by scientists, residents and hundreds of schoolchildren travelling to institutions in the area, according to residents quoted by Times of India – Bengaluru.
Students of Delhi Public School East were among those affected. School principal Manila Carvalho said the institution sent two buses to collect the stranded children and provided additional time to students who were delayed for their examinations. She said the arrangement was an emergency response and not a solution to the continuing condition of the road.
Residents said the incident was the fourth involving a school bus on the stretch in two months. They said the road remains dusty during dry weather and becomes slushy during rain, creating difficulties for motorists throughout the year. The area has seven to eight major schools and several residential layouts, increasing the number of daily users.
According to Basanagowda, a resident of Chikkanayakanahalli, the road was once fully asphalted but has remained badly damaged for about three years. He said nearly Rs 30 lakh was sanctioned under the MLA’s grant for road improvement after repeated complaints and follow-ups, but only part of the work was completed.
About 500 metres towards Avalahalli was converted into a concrete road seven to eight months ago, Basanagowda said. The remaining portion has not been completed, and vehicles continue to get stuck there whenever it rains. The account was reported by Times of India – Bengaluru and was not independently verified in the supplied material.
Carvalho said poor road conditions affect students and staff on a daily basis. The school’s response to Thursday’s disruption ensured that students could reach the campus during the examination period, but residents said repeated incidents indicate that the unfinished section requires priority attention.
Residents are now demanding that authorities complete the remaining portion of the Kodathi-Avalahalli road. The supplied report does not state which authority has set a completion date or when the remaining work will resume.
