Bengaluru: A school bus carrying 52 students and two teachers was stuck in slush on the Kodathi-Avalahalli road Thursday morning, forcing school authorities to deploy additional buses to ferry students to school amid ongoing half-yearly examinations.Residents said this is the fourth such incident involving a school bus on the stretch in two months. Following heavy rain on Wednesday, the 1km stretch turned muddy and slippery, making it difficult for vehicles to navigate. Locals said the road is dusty during dry weather and slushy during rains, posing year-round challenges for motorists.The road, which runs alongside the Central Silk Research Centre, is used daily by scientists, residents and hundreds of schoolchildren travelling to institutions in the area. The area has 7-8 major schools and multiple residential layouts.Residents said the road was once fully asphalted but has remained badly damaged for three years.“After numerous complaints and follow-ups, nearly Rs 30 lakh was sanctioned under the MLA’s grant for road improvement. However, only half the work was completed,” said Basanagowda, a resident of Chikkanayakanahalli.“About 500 metres towards Avalahalli was converted into a concrete road 7-8 months ago, but the remaining portion has been left unfinished. That is where vehicles continue to get stuck whenever it rains,” he said.Among those affected on Thursday were students of Delhi Public School East, whose bus became stranded during the morning commute.Manila Carvalho, principal of DPS East, “We sent two buses to bring the stranded children to school. Half-yearly examinations are under way. We provided additional time to those affected, but that is not the solution. Panchayat roads leading to the school are in a pathetic condition,” she said.Carvalho said poor road conditions continue to affect both students and staff on a daily basis.Residents are now demanding that authorities complete the remaining stretch on priority.
