Bengaluru: With Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) moving swiftly on building a 250-metre skydeck in the city at a cost of Rs 500 crore, Bengalureans are aghast over the authorities' misplaced priorities. Many say the state govt should instead prioritise essential infrastructure over its hobbyhorse.
BBMP recently identified a location near NICE Clover Leaf at Hemmigepura, southwest Bengaluru, for building the skydeck and initiated a public consultation on the site. Several Benglaureans TOI spoke with, however, said instead of the unnecessary expenditure on the skydeck, investments should be made in multi-level parking, standardized footpaths, and dedicated cycle lanes to ease congestion.
They also advocated for restoring lakes and green spaces to revive the ‘Garden City' legacy, emphasizing the importance of improving quality of life over new attractions.
"Instead of spending on tunnels, flyovers, or road widening, multi-level parking facilities should be established in each ward," suggested Raghuram Ram, a resident of Hennur. Such changes, many others said, would unlock road space, reduce congestion, and save the city considerable funds.
The other recommendations include standardized footpaths with proper curbs and dedicated cycle lanes. "Many people are ready to cycle to work or run errands, but footpaths are obstructed by parked vehicles, signboards, and seating from roadside eateries," said Priya Kumar from HSR Layout.
Some Bengalureans also proposed a new policy requiring prospective car buyers to show proof of parking space before purchase of vehicle, as a measure to limit road congestion. Calling for the restoration of waterbodies, a group of residents from north Bengaluru cited the case of Banaswadi's lost lake.
"Focus on green infrastructure would attract more eco-conscious tourism, benefiting both residents and the environment," said Anup M, a resident of Banaswadi.
Residents urged officials to focus on "first things first" — basic infrastructural improvements to improve the quality of life in Bengaluru — rather than adding attractions that would only exacerbate existing issues.
WHAT BENGALUREANS SAY
Muralidhar Rao | citizen activist
The skydeck is a vanity project. Instead of addressing real needs, the govt is spending huge amounts on this spectacle, which will just add to the traffic woes for residents and tourists alike. Bescom, BMTC, BWSSB — all critical infrastructure bodies — are struggling for funds, and instead of fixing the crumbling infrastructure, they want to build a skydeck. This city needs attention in areas like public health and education, not more gimmicks
Nooraine Fazal, |CEO & founder, Inventure Academy
Skydecks might have a place elsewhere, but here in Bengaluru, we need good roads more than a viewpoint. I urge the deputy CM to prioritise infrastructure along State Highway 35, which is home to many schools and thousands of professionals in the tech sector. Improved roads would do far more for Bengaluru's image and appeal than a skydeck
CN Kumar | citizen
The timing for this skydeck project is completely off. Our city's infrastructure is already crumbling, and it doesn't make sense to overlook urgent needs like roads, drainage, and traffic management. Projects like this should be postponed until these basics are fixed. When they built the international airport, there were similar concerns — people celebrate big projects later, but right now, what we need is functional infrastructure
Anil Shetty | Koramangala resident
Yes, big projects can attract people to Bengaluru, but there are smarter ways to showcase our city. We could invest in making Ulsoor Lake a beautiful landmark, or transform HMT into a robotics park. The skydeck's cost will likely escalate, just like other projects. Right now, we need visionary leadership that focuses on solving smaller, critical issues before taking on grand projects