What if a group of schoolchildren’s simple plea could spark real change in your neighborhood? That’s exactly what happened in Carmelaram, where kids struggling to get to school through pothole-ridden streets caught the government’s attention. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded quickly- those potholes have now been repaired!
And here’s the best part: once the rains stop, the roads will be fully asphalted to ensure a smoother, safer commute for everyone.
“We listened, we acted,” Shivakumar posted on X, praising the civic sense of the youngsters and calling them an “inspiration” for the government to work harder for Bengaluru.
We Listened, We Acted!
A few weeks ago, some young Bengalureans wrote to me about the potholes in Carmelaram and how they were struggling every day to get to school. We listened, we acted, and today those potholes have been fixed – easing mobility for everyone in the area. Once… pic.twitter.com/Hj4jjvegzV
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 10, 2025
The tweet reflects a wider effort to tackle Bengaluru’s longstanding pothole problem. According to official data, 10,000 potholes have been identified across the city, with more than 5,300 already repaired. Long-term works are also underway, including 154 km of white-topping under a ₹1,700-crore project and a larger 632 km upgrade plan worth ₹7,500 crore.
To make fixes faster and more transparent, Shivakumar recently launched the “Road Pothole Attention” app, which allows citizens to click and upload photos of potholes with GPS location, and track repair status online. The app, integrated with BBMP’s dashboard, sets time-bound deadlines for engineers, letting users see if potholes are patched within schedule.
In Carmelaram, the children had written letters about how they “hop around potholes” on their way to school. Their appeal was acknowledged by Shivakumar, who instructed engineers to prioritise the route. Roads around schools and hospitals are now being given priority in the repair drive.
The Karnataka government is using Eco-fix, a monsoon-friendly ready-mix for quicker pothole patching, as Bengaluru pushes ahead with permanent roadworks.
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