- A Bengaluru resident criticised the city’s poor roads and declining quality of life due to urbanisation
- Even prime areas like Jayanagar and Basavanagudi face dust and construction during water supply maintenance
- Social media users compared Bengaluru unfavourably with Hyderabad’s better infrastructure and cleanliness
A Reddit post by a Bengaluru resident has triggered an intense debate about the city's modern-day reality that has been marred by incessant urbanisation at the cost of poor roads, long traffic jams and the declining quality of life.
The user stated that they missed their old 'Bangalore' before it became 'Bengaluru', adding that the city was missing basic infrastructure that is critical to maintaining a high standard of living.
"Things were good, when our city was Bangalore itself! It has become Bengaluru and it has lost its charm! Roads have become so dusty, and construction is happening simultaneously everywhere!" the user wrote in the r/bangalore subreddit.
"Now I'm not sure, how much of it is needed and how much is bogus work to fill the pockets of our corrupt politicians and government employees!"
The user highlighted how even the best areas, like Jayanagar and Basavanagudi, were not spared in the name of water supply maintenance, while shops were putting transparent sheets to prevent dusty winds.
"We blame civic sense and lack of general hygiene as causes for 'why India is so dirty'? But if our politicians/people representatives are okay to all this, then what can be expected of people? This is actually encouraging people to throw their garbage at corners or open sites!"
See the viral post here:
Oh I miss my Bangalore!!
byu/ActInfamous3857 inbangalore
'Old charm is lost'
As the post gained traction, a section of social media users agreed with the assessment in the Reddit post, whilst others drew comparisons to Hyderabad.
"I miss the old Bangalore, not this. Greed has took over the city," said one user while another added: "The old charm of 'Bangalore' has lost. Hyderabad has lots of infrastructure better than Bangalore now."
A third commented: "Just returned from Hyderabad and Bangalore has a lot to learn from it. 100% responsibility lies with the corporation. We can blame the people for how much we want, but show me one location where garbage bins are maintained properly."
A fourth said: "In a democracy, you can only blame the people. Politicians in a democracy will only do what the majority want. The fact is, during elections, our priorities don't include any of these issues that you raised."
Driven by rapid urbanisation and a booming IT industry, the city's population has surged, with over 13 million residents and millions of vehicles clogging its roads. Narrow streets, inadequate public transport, and ongoing infrastructure projects have exacerbated the issue, leading to residents frequently venting about their problems on social media.
