"Paying Attention": DK Shivakumar As Bengaluru Fills Potholes After NDTV Report

Days after NDTV reported on the poor road conditions in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has begun filling the potholes, with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar saying they are "paying attention". Mr Shivakumar also shared pictures of the work on roads.

"Our government is paying attention to the concerns of Bengalureans. Potholes across the city are being filled and roads resurfaced to provide smoother and safer journeys for everyone," he said in a post on X.

Our government is paying attention to the concerns of Bengalureans. Potholes across the city are being filled and roads resurfaced to provide smoother and safer journeys for everyone. pic.twitter.com/7NaOYBZVNS

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 21, 2025

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) also shared videos of the reconstruction of roads, saying the engineers have been instructed to "complete the work on priority".

Pothole Filling & Bad Reaches Attended 🛣️

In Bengaluru South, potholes and bad reaches on major roads are being attended today to improve road safety and ensure smooth traffic movement. Engineers have been instructed to complete the works on priority. ✅ pic.twitter.com/6YRqhLUrWY

— Greater Bengaluru Authority (@GBA_office) September 21, 2025

Bengaluru has been witnessing poor infrastructure, potholes, and choking traffic - especially after heavy rain and waterlogging. Earlier this week, a viral video showed the dilapidated state of the road and footpath outside Google's Bengaluru office, with residents pointing out massive craters on the service roads, encroached footpaths, and the lack of safe walking space. "Let's see what it takes to walk outside Google Bengaluru. One word: unsafe. What should be the pride of Bengaluru is getting the least attention from GBA. The further you go, the worse it gets. We urge urgent action to restore safe, walkable footpaths here," the video was captioned.

In another incident, a school bus carrying children nearly toppled after slipping into slush on a road in Bengaluru, which has long been in a poor and pothole-ridden condition. A week later, another school bus got stuck as one of its wheels sank into an under-construction stormwater drain, while a school van was stuck in an open drain.

Many residents across Bengaluru had been staging protests, exposing its crumbling infrastructure. During the demonstrations, the locals held placards with 'save Bengaluru roads' and 'fix roads' written on them. On Saturday, a group of protesters had a face-off with the police in the IT city as the officials asked them to stop the protests, citing a lack of permission. This eventually turned into an argument, and the cops threatened to arrest them if they did not end the protest.

Mr Shivakumar, however, earlier said that the potholes are "not created" but develop because of "natural causes" and heavy rain.

"We are here to sort out the problem. The BJP is doing politics, let them do whatever they want. Potholes are caused by nature, no one wants to create them. The increase in vehicles, heavy traffic, and excessive rain in Bengaluru has led to potholes. We have already filled more than 7,000 potholes, and there are still over 5,000 left on Bengaluru's roads. We have asked the Police Commissioner to submit a report on the condition of potholes," he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister's deadline

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday, held a high-level meeting to discuss the improvement of Bengaluru roads and smooth traffic management. During the meeting, he set a deadline of one month for the officers of the civic agency to repair all the roads in the city.

Bengaluru | CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar held a high-level meeting of officials at the CM's residence, Kaveri, on Saturday night to discuss the improvement of Bengaluru roads and smooth traffic management. Ministers KJ George, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Chief Secretary Dr… pic.twitter.com/FBHh6xx1VZ

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2025

The Chief Minister also warned that the chief engineers would be held accountable if the deadline was not met, and cautioned them not to compromise on the quality of the work.

"I will hold two meetings in the next month. I will take strict action if any shortcoming is found," he said.