TV
For nearly two decades, residents of Bengaluru’s Domlur and Indiranagar struggled without a usable footpath, their repeated complaints to authorities going unheard. Ironically, it took a viral video by a Canadian man to finally spark action. Within just a week of his clip gaining traction online, the long-neglected walkway was repaired and reopened, giving pedestrians a safe passage after 20 years.
The Video That Started It All
Friesen’s post, captioned “I attempted to use the footpath from Domlur to Indiranagar. Things did not go as planned,” showed him navigating the broken path with what he jokingly called 'parkour and gymnastics'.
The clip quickly spread across social media, drawing attention to the long-ignored civic problem.
Citizens and BBMP Step Up
Within a week of the video going viral, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), along with volunteers and civic groups, restored the stretch. Arun Pai, founder of Bangalore Walks, shared footage of the repaired path, highlighting how pedestrians can now safely use it without braving heavy traffic. Even BBMP Zonal Commissioner (East), Snehal R, joined residents for a walk on the new path.
A Safer, Walkable Bengaluru
Pai called the turnaround “a dream come true,” emphasizing that the design flaws were fixed and the walkway is now easy and safe for daily use. For residents who had been risking their lives crossing busy roads for years, the change has been transformative.
Online Reactions: Pride and Frustration
The repair sparked mixed reactions online. While many applauded Bengaluru’s quick response, some pointed out the irony that it took a foreigner’s video to get things moving.
One user wrote, "Why is that work is being done, only when a foreigner raised his voice? Is there no value for a common Indian citizen raising voice for clean footpath." (sic)
Another wrote, "We pay so much taxes. For what? For hardworking citizens to take care of the basics again." (sic)
A Small Step, A Bigger Lesson
Responding to the restored path, Friesen himself expressed joy on Instagram, saying: “This made my year. All credit goes to the volunteers who cleaned, painted, and laid cement for this project!”
The Domlur-Indiranagar walkway now stands as proof that community efforts and civic pressure, sometimes sparked in the most unexpected ways, can bring long-awaited change.
