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Campaigns
CA
Civic Admin
05 Jan
Bengaluru
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Bengaluru Cannot Be Dug Out of Congestion: A Citizen’s Appeal to Halt Tunnel Roads

To The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah Vidhana Soudha Bengaluru
@CMofKarnataka
@osd_cmkarnataka
@siddaramaiah
Subject: An urgent appeal to halt the tunnel road project and protect Bengaluru from irreversible urban harm Respected Chief Minister Sir, We write to you on behalf of Civic Opposition of India, a citizen-led public platform working on issues of urban governance, mobility, and environmental accountability. This letter is a sincere and urgent appeal to pause and reconsider the proposed tunnel road project in Bengaluru before the city is pushed further into irreversible ecological and financial damage. Bengaluru is not facing a shortage of roads. It is facing a collapse of planning, public transport neglect, and institutional accountability. The tunnel road proposal, projected to cost tens of thousands of crores of public money, attempts to treat congestion as an engineering problem rather than a governance failure. History shows that such solutions do not reduce traffic. They merely relocate it, deeper and more expensively. Around the world, cities that once embraced urban highways and tunnels are now dismantling them at enormous cost, having learnt that induced demand overwhelms every new lane, flyover, or tunnel. Bengaluru risks repeating these mistakes at a scale the city can neither afford nor survive. Recent experience in Bengaluru validates this concern. The newly constructed loop at the Hebbal flyover, instead of easing congestion, has merely shifted traffic to the next junction, exactly the pattern predicted by transport experts. This real-time evidence underscores that building more road capacity for cars does not solve congestion; it merely relocates it and deepens the city’s infrastructure distress. Why this project alarms citizens 1. It diverts scarce public money from real solutions At a time when Bengaluru struggles with broken footpaths, unsafe streets, poor bus frequency, unfinished suburban rail, and chronic last-mile gaps, committing massive funds to tunnels prioritizes private vehicles over the daily commuter. This is neither equitable nor sustainable. 2. It poses serious environmental and hydrological risks Large-scale underground construction in a city already suffering from groundwater depletion and flooding raises grave concerns. Tunnelling threatens aquifers, destabilizes soil layers, and increases long-term flood risk, especially in a city whose natural drainage systems and lakes are already compromised. 3. It weakens democratic and planning processes Projects of this magnitude demand transparent studies, independent peer review, and genuine public consultation. Citizens increasingly feel that decisions are being fast-tracked while dissenting voices, urban experts, and resident groups are treated as obstacles rather than stakeholders. 4. It locks Bengaluru into a car-centric future Every rupee spent on tunnels is a rupee not spent on buses, metro integration, suburban rail, cycling infrastructure, and walkable streets. Tunnel roads institutionalize inequality by privileging car owners while the majority continue to endure unreliable, unsafe, and overcrowded public transport. The larger truth Bengaluru’s traffic problem cannot be solved underground. It must be solved at the surface, where people live, walk, cycle, and commute daily. Cities are not saved by hiding cars beneath them. They are saved by reducing car dependence altogether. This city once led India in innovation and forward thinking. Today, it risks becoming a case study in how not to plan a metropolis. Citizens are not opposing development. We are opposing misdirected development that mortgages the city’s future for short-term optics. What we respectfully ask We urge your government to: 1. Immediately pause the tunnel road project and place all related studies, contracts, and feasibility reports in the public domain. 2. Constitute an independent urban mobility and environment review panel, including transport planners, hydrologists, climate experts, and citizen representatives. 3. Redirect priority and funding to public transport, especially BMTC expansion, suburban rail acceleration, last-mile connectivity, and safe pedestrian infrastructure. 4. Adopt a long-term mobility vision that reduces private vehicle dependence rather than accommodating its unchecked growth. A citizen’s appeal Chief Minister Sir, Bengaluru does not need grand underground experiments. It needs honest governance, people-first mobility, and the courage to say no to projects that look impressive but harm the city quietly and permanently. We request your personal intervention to ensure that Bengaluru’s future is shaped by wisdom, not by inertia or pressure from vested interests. This decision will define how history remembers this phase of the city’s leadership. Yours sincerely, Civic Opposition of India Citizen-led platform for urban governance and public accountability

1521
Protests
CA
Civic Admin
22 Nov
Anekal, Bengaluru
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Anekal Is Not on the Moon: Citizens Demand Basic Roads and Drainage

Public Protest Highlights Deep Infrastructure Crisis in Anekal Taluk Residents of Anekal staged a peaceful protest today, marching up to the Anekal Tahsildar Office to demand safe roads and proper drainage infrastructure. The protest was a response to years of neglect, during which road conditions across Anekal Taluk have deteriorated to dangerous levels. Despite prior intimation, neither the Tahsildar nor any responsible government officer was present at the office to receive the citizens or address their grievances. This absence further intensified public frustration and reinforced the perception of administrative apathy.
Roads Filled With Potholes, Drainage Missing or Nonfunctional Almost all major roads in Anekal Taluk are riddled with potholes, making daily commuting unsafe for pedestrians, two-wheelers, school children, and senior citizens. The situation worsens after every rainfall due to inadequate or poorly designed drainage systems, which lead to waterlogging and rapid road damage. Citizens are not demanding luxury infrastructure. They are asking for basic, motorable roads with functional drainage—a minimum expectation in an urbanizing region like Anekal. Massive Public Participation Reflects Growing Anger More than 1,500 residents witnessed and supported the protest, reflecting the scale of public dissatisfaction. The turnout clearly shows that this is not an isolated complaint but a collective civic demand cutting across communities and residential layouts.
Appeal to Government and Elected Representatives We urge the Government of Karnataka, the local administration, and elected representatives—including the Anekal MLA and officials responsible for urban development and civic infrastructure—to treat this issue with urgency. Anekal is a fast-growing region contributing significantly to Bengaluru’s economy. Continued neglect of basic infrastructure undermines public safety, economic activity, and trust in governance. Conclusion: Basic Infrastructure Is a Right, Not a Favour Citizens should not have to protest on broken roads to be heard. Anekal is not on the Moon. It deserves the same standards of roads, drainage, and accountability that any urban area in Bengaluru receives. The government must act—now. #Bengaluru #Anekal #BadRoads #BrandBengaluru
5700
Protests
CA
Civic Admin
18 Oct

🛑 The Silence is Broken: #NoRoadNoTax

After years of neglect, citizens are finally speaking up, exposing the government’s duplicity in failing to provide durable, quality roads.

"The 'Civic Opposition of India' stands firmly with every aggrieved taxpayer demanding answers. We refuse to accept crumbling infrastructure as the norm."

Listen to this voice from Bengaluru’s IT corridor. More power to such hardworking taxpayers!

#BrandBengaluru #CivicIssues #Bengaluru #Mahadevapuru #NoRoadNoTax

1760
Campaigns
CA
Civic Admin
18 Sept
Bengaluru
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The Case of the Missing 4 KM: Where Did the â‚ą9.5 Crore Go?

It is a simple math problem that the PWD Karnataka seems unable to solve.
Civic Opposition of India (previously Citizens Movement, East Bengaluru), has flagged a serious discrepancy in a road project connecting Dommasandra to Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.

  • The Tender: Improvements for 7 KM.
  • The Cost: â‚ą9.51 Crores (Agreement No. 44/2024-25).
  • The Reality: Only 3 KM has been completed. The remaining 4 KM remains incomplete and dangerous
Mithilesh raises a critical question in his formal complaint to the Chief Minister: 
"If the contract was for 7km and the funds were allocated, why is the work stopped at 3km? This raises grave concerns regarding the possible misuse of taxpayer money."
We are demanding an independent audit of this project immediately. The citizens of East Bengaluru deserve to know if they paid for a full road but received less than half. 

4200
Protests
CA
Civic Admin
13 Apr
Varthur, Bengaluru
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The Cycle of Repair and Despair: Is Bengaluru Broken Beyond Repair?

It is tragic to witness the sheer helplessness of honest taxpayers in this city. We pay our dues, yet we are met with zero accountability and what feels like open loot of public funds.
Civic Opposition of India, points out the uncomfortable reality of our infrastructure: 
"Even if BBMP repairs a road today, it won’t last 3 months. Why? Because they are built substandard, far below the budgeted quality."
This isn't just about potholes; it's about a systemic failure where quality control is non-existent. We are paying first-class taxes for third-class infrastructure.
363
Protests
CA
Civic Admin
26 Oct 2024
Chikkanayakanahalli, Bengaluru
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The Bengaluru Techie's Weekend: Recover or Protest?

It is a sobering reality for thousands of professionals in our city: Work 10-12 hours a day, endure 4-5 hours of traffic, and then spend weekends on the streets protesting for basic infrastructure.

Today, the citizens of Gattahalli and Chikkanayakanahalli are protesting against substandard roads that have made commuting a daily hazard.

Mithilesh Kumar, Founder of Civic Opposition of India, questions the sustainability of this model: "How did we reach this point where tax-paying citizens have to fight for the mere existence of a road? Is this the #BrandBengaluru we want to project to the world?"

We appeal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the state administration to look beyond the headlines and address the ground reality. Our city deserves better than broken roads and lost hours.

Live Protest

#Bengaluru #WorkLifeBalance #Gattahalli #Chikkanayakanahalli #MithileshKumar #CivicOpposition #UrbanInfrastructure #Karnataka

700
Drive
CA
Civic Admin
30 Aug 2024
Bengaluru
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Help Fix Our Roads: Share Your Video Evidence

Help Fix Our Roads: Share Your Video Evidence Citizens Movement, East Bengaluru invites citizens to contribute high-quality video footage capturing the dilapidated roads (potholes) on all 22 arterial roads of the Outer Ring Road. Please share the footage, named as (road_location_date_of_video), using the following Google form. Longer videos with voice over explaining technical problem from point A to B are preferred. We expect maximum contribution from all of you. Let's come together to shake the sleeping system of the Silicon Valley of India and create a true Brand Bengaluru. Roads to be covered: 1. Sarjapura Road – 5.00 Km: Iblur to Carmelaram Junction 2. Ambalipura Bellandur Road – 1.30 Km: ORR to Sarjapura Road 3. Haraluru Road – 3.25 Km: Sarjapura Road to Kudlu Junction 4. Kasavanahalli Road – 2.50 Km: Sarjapura Road to Choodsandra 5. Gear School Road – 4.00 Km: ORR to Sarjapura Road 6. Panathur Balagere Road – 6.00 Km: ORR to Varthur Gunjur Road 7. New Horizon College Road – 0.70 Km: ORR (Wells Fargo) to Gear School Road 8. Choulkere Road – 2.90 Km: ORR (Devarabeesanahalli) to AET Junction (Gear School Road) 9. Devarabeesanahalli Road – 1.30 Km: ORR (Devarabeesanahalli) to Gear School Road 10. Kariyammana Agrahara Road – 1.80 Km: ORR (Kadubeesanahalli) to ORR (Sakra Hosp) 11. Sakra Hospital Road – 1.00 Km: ORR (Devarabeesanahalli) to Bellandur Kodi 12. Bellandur Main Road via Yamalur – 4.50 Km: ORR Bellanduru to OAR Yamalur Signal 13. Kempapura Main Road – 5.40 Km: Yamalur Kodi to OAR Wind Tunnel Junction 14. Croma Road – 1.80 Km: ORR (Croma) to Balagere Road 15. Gunjur Palya Road – 3.10 Km: Panathur Balagere Road to Carmelaram Road 16. Carmelaram Road – 4.50 Km: Sarjapura Road to Gujur SH35 17. Old Airport Road – 8.60 Km: Surajandas Junction to Varthur Kodi 18. Varthur Gunjur Road (SH-35) – 4.70 Km: Varthur Kodi to Gunjur 19. Doddanekundi Main Road – 2.40 Km: ORR (ISRO Junction) to OAR 20. Doddanekundi Village Road – 1.30 Km: ORR (Doddanekundi) to Doddanekundi Road 21. Graphite India Road – 4.80 Km: OAR Kundalahalli to Whitefield Road 22. Alphine Echo Road – 2.30 Km: ORR Rain Bow Hospital to Graphite India Road
2205
Campaigns
CA
Civic Admin
09 Jun 2024
Bengaluru
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Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Elections and Uphold the Constitution | Day 5 Demand

Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,

The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India grant urban local bodies the authority to govern themselves and provide for decentralised decision making. In the absence of an elected body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is virtually defunct and is being run by unaccountable government officers. This situation goes against the spirit and ethos of the Indian Constitution. We urge you to uphold constitutional values in our glorious Kannada state.

We respectfully request you to conduct BBMP elections and return power to the citizens. It is deeply painful to witness our city reduced to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.

Yours sincerely,
Citizens of East Bengaluru

#ConductBBMPElections
#BrandBengaluru

2980
Campaigns
CA
Civic Admin
07 Jun 2024
Bengaluru
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Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Election | Day 3 Demand

Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,

Garbage is plaguing Bengaluru. BBMP hardly collects garbage. One of our volunteers reached out to a local MLA to help with the regular collection of garbage in his area. He was scolded by the MLA, who said his job is not to collect garbage but to make laws.

If the MLA cannot help, who will ensure garbage collection in the absence of elected BBMP corporators? We do not want to approach the Office of the Chief Minister, Karnataka for garbage collection.

Please conduct BBMP elections and transfer some power back into citizens’ hands. It is painful to see our city sink to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.

Yours sincerely,

Citizens of East Bengaluru

#ConductBBMPElection
#BrandBengaluru
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6758
Campaigns
CA
Civic Admin
06 Jun 2024
Bengaluru
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Urgent Request to Conduct BBMP Election | Day 2 Demand

Respected Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar,

Yesterday, a Class 7 student fell and broke his right hand while cycling to school due to potholes on the road. This incident may not affect the day-to-day functioning of your offices, but the child and his family will have to suffer the consequences for an entire year. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. There are countless similar stories that citizens of Bengaluru face every day because of poor road conditions.

Whenever we approach our Member of Parliament regarding road safety, we are referred to the local MLA. The MLA, in turn, says that BBMP will handle the issue. However, BBMP rarely does. With no elected body in place, there is no accountability and no one the citizens can hold responsible.

We urge you to conduct BBMP elections and transfer some power back into the hands of citizens. It is painful to see our city descend to such lows in our #NammaBengaluru.

Yours sincerely,

Citizens of East Bengaluru

#ConductBBMPElection
#BrandBengaluru

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