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‘Busy building unicorns as roads turn to rivers': Zerodha-backed investor slams Bengaluru’s poor drainage
A torrential downpour in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, has wreaked havoc, causing massive waterlogging and flooding.
Days of restless rain have brought widespread hardship to Bengaluru, leaving several areas flooded and waterlogged. Social media visuals show how the roads have turned into rivers in the Silicon Valley of India. Highlighting this issue, Zerodha-based investor Dilip Kumar shared a post comparing how a city that is a hub for tech-based startups in India has failed to design a “decent drainage system.”
“We’ve got AI to detect cancer, drone delivery for biryani and apps to schedule your pet’s meditation session. But no clue how to build a decent drainage system. And this is the tech capital of the country. Who’s to blame and who’s accountable- I honestly don’t know,” Kumar wrote.
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“Maybe it’s the system or it’s us. Maybe we were too busy building unicorns to notice the roads turning into rivers. One thing is for sure that the ESOPs, villas, and startup exits won’t buy us a shortcut through this mess,” he added.
Kumar wrote the post while stuck in traffic due to waterlogging in Bengaluru. He shared the X post while reacting to a video that shows vehicles crossing a water-filled road in the city.
Take a look at the entire post:
An individual posted, “Startups thrive on urgency. Occasional problems like Bangalore’s waterlogging won’t cut it.” Another added, “Spot on. The real irony is, we’re building AI empires but can’t build a proper drainage system. That’s because, as a country, we’ve never prioritised urban planning. It’s not glamorous, doesn’t get VC funding, and rarely wins elections. But it decides the quality of life for millions.”
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A third commented, “It’s actually very simple to understand. We missed the basics. You first build a foundation and then build skyscrapers over it slowly. We jumped from agriculture to IT directly. And now it cannot be reset. This problem may be solved by focusing on a new city. But everyone is obsessed with two or three cities.” A fourth wrote, “You can't build a drainage system when you have built skyscrapers on drains and lakes.”
