A Bengaluru resident has sparked a conversation online after taking matters into his own hands and repairing a broken footpath outside his society in Koramangala. Siddharth Dilani shared before-and-after pictures of the footpath on social media, explaining that it had remained damaged for years.
According to Siddharth, he had previously complained to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), emailed the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), raised a ticket and contacted their WhatsApp helpline, but received no response.
'Finally, decided to fix it myself'
Sharing pictures showing the damaged footpath before and the repaired stretch after the work, Siddharth said the repair cost him Rs 2,700, including labour charges and the cement needed to build a ramp. He said the repaired pathway would make it easier for parents with strollers and senior citizens using wheelchairs to access the area.
The before-and-after images show a broken section of the footpath being levelled and replaced with a concrete ramp, creating a smoother passage towards the road.
Post sparks conversation about civic responsibility
The post drew reactions from social media users, with some praising Siddharth for taking the initiative. One user described his effort as an example of how people can contribute their time and money towards improving the communities around them. The user also referred to volunteer community service in Western countries and argued that maintaining neighbourhoods should not be viewed as the government's responsibility alone. The comment further reads, "For some reason in India, people feel that up keep of our cummunity is purely the governments job -which is wrong thinking. You did the right thing. Hopefully, you will inspire the rest of us to do our little contributions to our own communities."
Siddharth responded to the comment, saying there was a need to do more. He added that he had seen people contribute much more towards their communities in other countries, while saying that in India, "neither the people nor the government wants to do this."
Another user called Siddharth a "true patriot", to which he replied, "Thanks!" The post has since drawn attention to a simple but often overlooked part of urban life: accessible and usable footpaths. For Siddharth, what began as a broken pathway outside his society became a small community repair project after his earlier attempts to raise the issue did not get a response.
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