Bengaluru: The city’s bustling traffic junctions are getting a makeover with two major events — Aero India 2025 and the Invest Karnataka meet — set to be held this week: Not only are junctions in the central business district (CBD) getting illuminated, they will also be dotted with fountains.
To start with, a total of eight junctions have been spruced up with fully operational fountains.

Work is nearing completion at 10 more junctions. In fact, installation of decorative fountains was part of a beautification plan announced in 2020 by BBMP, and work orders with respect to 23 junctions were issued in Jan 2024.
“More than a decade ago, Bengaluru’s traffic junctions had water fountains, which added elegance to the roads. But with vehicular population growing exponentially and traffic islands being phased out, fountains were forgotten. We wanted to make the traffic intersections visually appealing and decided to re-introduce the same,” said a BBMP official, who admitted the fountain-related work should have been completed much ahead of the two big events.
Project consultants overseeing the initiative revealed that around Rs 3 crore has been allocated, but with only 70% of the funds received so far, completion remains a challenge. “A significant amount of time was spent on detailed project reports, tendering, and approvals. Now, fund shortage is delaying the finishing touches,” said the official.
Designed uniquely for each junction, these fountains will be illuminated with vibrant lights, transforming the city’s landscape at night. Water will either come from nearby borewells or sewage treatment plants, ensuring sustainability. A dedicated sump system ensures the water is recycled efficiently, reducing wastage.
‘Pay attention to areas beyond CBD’
As CBD gets a grand makeover ahead of Aero India and the Global Investors Meet, residents in the city’s periphery are demanding equal attention to their basic infrastructure needs. While CBD roads are being relaid, junctions revamped and fresh paint applied, areas such as Whitefield, Mahadevapura, and Sarajapur Road continue to grapple with potholes, dust, and crumbling roads.
“All the work here is just to make money,” said Anjali Saini from Whitefield Rising. “In Mahadevapura, roads are left half-dug, potholes remain uncovered, and people are literally dying. Forget painting, they don’t even cover up our potholes. Everybody commuting here is suffering daily. Where is all the money going? So frustrating and irritating that even after meeting deputy CM DK Shivakumar so many times, our lives never got better. Instead of spending so much money on just patchwork when someone important is coming, can’t they develop a small junction with good quality work so it can last a good number of years?”
Regular commuter Eshwarappa echoed the frustration. “I travel across the city and see the stark contrast in areas outside CBD. The flyovers here are filthy, and dust clouds from broken roads prove how neglected we are. Where is the money going?” he asked.
Panathur resident Sheethal Kulkarne said: “We’re the most ignored part… One can now think about this part of the city as just dust, potholes, drainage on the road. Forget about fountains and zero tolerance, we don’t even have free motorable roads. Those foreigners who travel to these IT corridors and stay in hotels here have already seen how bad the city’s infrastructure is, and they believe the entire city is like this… so I don’t see any point in just beautifying the CBD areas.”