Volunteers and Civic Bodies Beautify Silk Board Junction in Bengaluru
Over 125 volunteers joined civic authorities and local ward teams at Silk Board Junction in Bengaluru to clear legacy waste, remove posters, and paint flyover pillars as part of a major beautification drive across Bommanahalli and BTM Layout. The initiative transformed the chaotic black spot at the city's southern gateway into a cleaner, safer, and more organized public space.
The cleanup was executed as part of the Greater Bengaluru Authority's Clean Bengaluru initiative through a partnership between the Bengaluru South City Corporation and Canadian multinational CGI under its Corporate Social Responsibility program. Participants included CGI corporate leaders, employees, and their families, working alongside ward teams from Bommanahalli and BTM Layout.
During the drive, volunteers cleaned dust and posters from stormwater drain walls and painted the pillars of both the original flyover and the new double-decker flyover in shades of purple. Non-profit organization India Rising Trust, which facilitated the volunteer event, is preparing themed designs to be added to the painted surfaces. Aniruddha Abhyankar, Chief Design Officer of India Rising Trust, stated that the design philosophy aims to provide a calming effect through neat patterns in an area heavily impacted by traffic, dust, and ongoing Metro construction.
Beyond cleaning and painting, the project led to new pedestrian infrastructure. Arun Pai, coordinator of Project Walkaluru, confirmed that the partnership resulted in the construction of a two-metre-wide, 100-metre-long footpath connecting Central Silk Board Metro Station to Silk Board Junction under the guidance of Bengaluru South City Corporation Chief Engineer KV Ravi.
Addressing safety issues at the location, CGI CSR Coordinator Surendran M noted that the junction previously lacked proper waiting areas for bus passengers booking auto-rickshaws or cabs and suffered from a lack of street lighting, leading to misuse by anti-social elements at night.
Preparatory work for the makeover required municipal workers to spend 15 days clearing debris from the site before volunteer activities began. Chief Engineer KV Ravi stated that the corporation provided full support to the volunteers and has identified another local black spot for upcoming beautification work.
