'Welcome to the moon, not Bengaluru!': Viral post shows pothole-ridden road filled with slush

Bengaluru's infrastructure promises are under scrutiny as monsoon rains exposed neglected roads and safety concerns.

Growing public frustration over Bengaluru’s crumbling roads has once again spilled onto social media, with a pair of viral posts drawing sharp attention to the dangerous state of key city routes, particularly around Agara Lake and the Balegere-Panathur stretch, prompting renewed criticism of the state government’s handling of civic infrastructure.

Bengaluru is increasingly becoming infamous for its potholes. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

In one widely shared post, city resident Ramnath Shenoy described the stretch near Agara Lake as resembling the lunar surface. “Welcome to the moon, not Bengaluru!” he wrote. “For 2 km, there’s no road left - only craters. Thousands from Indiranagar & Koramangala take this stretch daily to reach Bellandur. We aren’t asking for world-class. Just the basics. Safe, motorable roads. Bengaluru deserves better.”

His post echoed the frustration of thousands who navigate Bengaluru’s neglected road network, riddled with potholes, slushy patches, and unfinished civic work, much of which has worsened due to the ongoing rains. Roads across the city often flood or erode quickly, exposing underlying structural flaws and poor planning.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition and BJP leader R Ashoka took to social media with a scathing post accusing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of “total failure and negligence.” His comments came in the wake of multiple incidents involving school buses on the Balegere–Panathur road, including one on September 12 where a bus nearly overturned with 20 children on board. Just days later, two more school buses reportedly skidded on the same stretch due to slush.

“Parents are terrified, children are traumatized, and citizens are forced to risk their lives just to commute,” Ashoka wrote. “if you cannot guarantee safe roads for schoolchildren, QUIT your chair and make way for someone capable,” he added.

These incidents have intensified scrutiny on the government’s infrastructure promises under the “Brand Bengaluru” initiative. Critics argue that while the administration talks about transforming the city into a global hub, even basic infrastructure like roads and drainage remain neglected, leading to severe safety concerns during the monsoon.

With monsoon rains expected to continue, residents are demanding immediate action — not patchwork repairs or political blame games. As one citizen put it bluntly: "Bengaluru deserves better. Our children deserve better."