Bengaluru: A section of Bengalureans used Gandhi Jayanti Friday to draw attention to long-pending civic issues, organising peaceful protests in Haralur and Marsur demanding better roads, footpaths, garbage management and underground drainage.In Haralur, southeast Bengaluru, nearly 200 residents from Kasavanahalli ward took part in a community walk along Haralur Road, carrying placards that read, “Not a protest for privilege, a walk for basics.” They highlighted broken footpaths, poor roads, overflowing sewage, garbage blackspots, and worsening traffic congestion. The residents had submitted a petition to their MLA on Wednesday, seeking daily doorstep garbage collection, better waste management, improved roads, and faster underground drainage connectivity to prevent sewage from entering stormwater drains and lakes.“We’re paying taxes to breathe in toxic smoke and wade through raw sewage. This is a direct threat to our children’s health,” said resident Rupal.Another resident, Ricky Saraf, said people continued to endure poor roads, garbage accumulation and hours lost in traffic jams despite paying taxes.In Marsur gram panchayat, south Bengaluru, residents took a different approach, organising a cleanliness drive near Chandapura railway gate to highlight the poor condition of roads. Sixteen residents, along with five sponsors, collected more than 30kg of roadside garbage.Led by resident George Joseph, the group put forward a symbolic challenge to authorities: for every 10kg of garbage collected by citizens, 1km of road should be repaired. Having collected more than 30kg of waste, they demanded repairs to at least 3km of road.Residents said the area, home to more than 15 apartment complexes and around 15,000 families, had not seen meaningful road repairs in six years despite repeated representations. They also claimed that a road project worth Rs 3.6 crore, sanctioned several months ago, was yet to make progress on the ground.
