Journalism of Courage
Canadian man flags Bengaluru’s broken footpaths, cracked pavements: ‘Like asteroid collided with Earth’
The Canadan vlogger questioned how such conditions could persist in one of Bengaluru’s prominent neighbourhoods, particularly in a city widely regarded as one of India’s technology and startup hubs
He questioned how such conditions could persist in one of Bengaluru’s prominent neighbourhood (Photo: @caleb_friesen/Instagram)
Bengaluru’s civic infrastructure is grabbing attention again after Canadian vlogger Caleb Friesen shared a video showing damaged footpaths, piles of rubble, and a large hole along 12th Main in Indiranagar.
Friesen, who creates videos about India’s development, technology and innovation, filmed himself walking through the area and criticised the condition of the pavement. Pointing to a severely damaged section, he said the footpath looked as though it was “about to actually, like, snap in half”.
He questioned how such conditions could persist in one of Bengaluru’s prominent neighbourhoods, particularly in a city widely regarded as one of India’s technology and startup hubs.
“And Bengaluru is a pretty important city here in India. It’s one of the tech capitals of the country. And yet, one of the central hubs of that tech capital, where many startups and many venture capital firms are located, has footpaths like this. It’s pathetic,” he said in the video.
Bengaluru’s broken footpaths
During the video, Friesen highlighted cracked stretches of pavement, construction debris and a large hole that had accumulated garbage. Describing the hole, he compared it to a spot where “an asteroid collided with planet Earth”.
He shared that the condition was particularly disappointing because Bengaluru’s reputation for technological innovation is not matched by the state of some of its basic urban infrastructure.
He also pointed out that several portions of the footpath appeared to be in reasonably good condition, but said the damaged stretches undermined the overall pedestrian experience. He further claimed that rubble was a recurring problem across the city.
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In his Instagram post accompanying the video, Friesen said Indiranagar’s footpaths should be safe, walkable and pedestrian-friendly and should reflect the innovation taking place in Bengaluru. “Indiranagar shouldn’t be like this,” he wrote.
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The video quickly gained traction, drawing a wave of reactions. “Imagine never noticing your everyday broken footpaths and roads until a foreigner reviews it, simply because you grew used to this version of reality,” a user wrote.
“Always made me wonder how does local government here takes pride in the startup ecosystem like they had a part of it. Startups in blr succeed despite the incompetent gov not the other way around. The people here are just extremely smart and hard working, that’s the only reason,” another user commented.
“Can’t express how infuriating walking experience in Bangalore,” a third user reacted.
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