City Pulse

Would you run from pillar to post, to get an issue fixed for the benefit of your community? Well, many would do so when a problem hits them at a personal level and be indifferent when it affects the neighbourhood. However, Tripti Agarwal proved she is not one among the crowd by fulfilling her duty as a responsible citizen.

Hailing from Hoodi ward near K R Puram, Tripti was deeply disturbed to see a broken water pipeline flooding the Kodigehalli Main Road. The stretch that was not asphalted was mucky and potholes became bigger and invisible due to the water. “It was heartbreaking to see a school van with little children, bouncing on the potholes. It was then, I decided to post a complaint on ‘I Change My City’,” says Tripti. 

Tripti called up BBMP office, which pushed the responsibility on BWSSB. When she called BWSSB, she was told to contact BWSSB maintenance department. When she was finally connected to the maintenance department, she was informed that the labourers were on a holiday.

“It is frustrating to contact the right person. With people pushing responsibilities on each other in government offices, it is the citizens who suffer,” she grieved.

Tripti finally got in touch with BWSSB maintenance officers Ramesh and Nagaraj, who immediately took up the issue. With the report she posted on ‘I Change My City,’ she was able to pressurise the civic authorities to take up the work faster. Within three days of her posting the complaint, the pipeline was repaired.

However, the road was not leveled, as that work falls under BBMP jurisdiction. Hence, Tripti had to go through the painful process of finding the right officer. BBMP officer Munnireddy took up the responsibility, and the asphalt work on the road has begun. Tripti is hopeful that the work will complete by March end.

“I wish government officials took up the task of coordinating among themselves, whenever a citizen faces a problem, than asking a citizen to coordinate,” she says.

Tripti has posted over 40 complaints on I Change My City and more than 10 have been resolved. As an active citizen, she says she feels a great sense of personal satisfaction, whenever she gets a problem resolved. “I feel happy that I have the power to bring about a change and contribute to the betterment of my city,” she smiles.