It takes foreign influencer’s viral video for officials to act on broken, pothole-ridden stretches in Indiranagar
The Greater Bengaluru Authority repaired damaged roads in Indiranagar only after a foreign influencer posted a viral video highlighting the poor infrastructure. This has sparked public outrage regarding the civic body's responsiveness to local residents versus international social media pressure.
Why it matters
The incident highlights systemic issues in civic governance and the growing influence of social media in forcing public accountability.
It took a foreign national influencer’s viral video for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to notice what Bengaluru residents had been complaining about for months.
After Canadian influencer Caleb Friesen posted a video on social media platforms showing the broken, pothole-ridden and poorly maintained stretch of 12th Main in Indiranagar, the GBA moved quickly, “fixing” the damaged road patches and broken footpath. But the civic body’s quick response has now triggered a backlash from citizens, who have questioned why the same complaints from the residents failed to elicit action until the issue was highlighted by an influencer.
Many have called the influencer to their area to make a video so the GBA can act.
In his video, Mr. Friesen showed piles of rubble, broken and missing footpath slabs, large craters and trees being used as garbage bins along the 12th Main.
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