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Students in Mahadevapura constituency are sending letters to the deputy CM, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, in a desperate appeal for safe and usable roads
Postcards written by the students to DK Shivakumar. (News18)
“We want basic infra, not daily adventure,” reads a hand-drawn postcard from a child in Karnataka’s Chikkabellandur, pleading with deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar to fix the crumbling roads in their neighbourhood. In another, a sketch of two cars and a bus entering a potholed street is captioned: “Oh no, we are entering the broken road again.”
These are just two of nearly 500 postcards that schoolchildren in the Mahadevapura constituency are sending to the deputy chief minister, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, in a desperate appeal for safe and usable roads.
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Every day, the students navigate pothole-ridden, narrow lanes, spending anywhere between one to two hours for a mere 5-km stretch. The daily ordeal became so frustrating that children took matters into their own hands, launching a ‘Postcard Letter Campaign’ on Independence Day to seek what they call “freedom from potholes, poor infrastructure, and unsafe roads”.
What began as frustration has now turned into civic action. Backed by the citizens’ collective Carmelaram Unite, families from Chikkabellandur, Gunjurpalya, and Carmelaram have rallied around their children’s voices, hoping that the emotional weight of handwritten letters will succeed where protests and petitions have failed.
Jose Thazathuveettil, a citizen activist from Carmelaram Unite, said: “We have been facing this issue for the past 18 years, and there is a dire need for the completion of the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) roads that were meant to ease congestion. In the last three months, even the narrow lanes we already had have become non-motorable.”
Explaining the problem, Thazathuveettil added: “See, the issue is that our area was added to the BBMP in 2007-08. It has been more than 18 years now and the population has grown rapidly. If you come this side, you will see high-rise apartments. But the roads from 10 years ago have not been worked upon. That’s why the traffic problem has become terrible.”
This is exactly what the children wish to highlight. One of the postcards written by a student reads: “Namaste Sir. Kindly address struggles we have on the roads in and around Carmelaram. Potholes on the roads are getting bigger every day. Drains are overflowing. [There is] No streetlights on the roads. Garbage is thrown everywhere. Looking forward to your immediate action.”
Another young child, 10-year-old Peter, writes: “I want to bring to your notice the condition of the roads in our locality. There are many potholes in my area, which makes it difficult for me to ride my bicycle, especially during the rainy season. There is no garbage collection on time, hence people litter on the streets. Please consider this as our request to make our area liveable.”
There are 4–5 critical CDP roads in the area but some projects have barely begun, while others are stuck in the land-acquisition process, delaying the availability of basic infrastructure for residents.
What has added to residents’ woes is the existence of several schools in close proximity, which has increased traffic congestion. The issue has forced schools to consider starting earlier than usual as many students are unable to reach in time.
“We have young children. Making them start so early just because the government failed in providing basic amenities and roads is ridiculous,” said an irate parent.
Another parent chimed in: “Our children are bearing the brunt of lack of infrastructure. The time taken to travel, the condition of the so-called roads is nothing but discomfort. And if they are travelling by autos or two-wheelers, it can even be life-threatening.”
About the Author
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
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