Garden city is now a ‘garbage city’: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw laments Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure
Juxtaposing concrete-heavy arterial corridors against eco-friendly alternate designs with cycling tracks and walkways, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s latest social media post has drawn thousands of venting comments from frustrated Bengaluru residents.
The graphic juxtaposed two versions of an elevated road corridor in Bengaluru (File photo)
Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has reignited the debate over Bengaluru’s urban planning after sharing a graphic comparing the city’s existing road infrastructure with a greener, more pedestrian-friendly alternative.
In an X post, Mazumdar-Shaw highlighted the city’s rapid loss of green cover. “This is how we need to design & plan our roads that reflects our garden city. Unfortunately, it’s now a garbage city with shrinking greenery,” she wrote.
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Bengaluru’s urban planning
The graphic juxtaposed two versions of an elevated road corridor. The first, labelled “What we built,” depicted a concrete-dominated stretch, claiming that trees had been felled while footpaths, service roads and public amenities had been sacrificed in the name of infrastructure development.
The second graphic, titled “What we could have built,” envisioned a more sustainable streetscape that retained existing trees and featured more dedicated cycling tracks, wider pedestrian footpaths, landscaped green spaces and street furniture such as benches, lighting, and trash bins.
See here:
This is how we need to design & plan our roads that reflects our garden city image. Unfortunately it’s now a garbage city with shrinking greenery pic.twitter.com/EG29LPZd2j
The post has since gone viral, prompting a discussion on urban infrastructure and planning in Bengaluru. “We have 100s of carts on every footpath this is too much to expect in this lifetime,” a user wrote. “Very true. The dirtiest city when compared to its own smaller cities like mysore. No garbage management. Only tax collection and given to mafias. They shud check each BBMP officer net worth. Some of them may surpass big politicians,” another user commented.
“Sarjapur road is a complete garbage yard. No footpath, open drainage, and waste on the road side almost every kilometer. Even a war- torn country looks better than this hellhole,” a third user reacted.
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DISCLAIMER: This article reflects civic discussions and opinions on urban infrastructure and development. It is shared for informational purposes and does not constitute expert municipal, investment, or legal advice.
The graphic juxtaposed two versions of an elevated road corridor in Bengaluru (File photo) 
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