A recent report by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) paints a grim picture: Karnataka recorded the highest number of deaths due to civic negligence nationwide in 2023, with a staggering 23 fatalities. This surpasses Madhya Pradesh, which reported 12 deaths, and Chhattisgarh with 5, highlighting a critical public safety issue within the state.
Such tragic incidents stem from various forms of civic neglect, including hazardous electrocution from power lines, deadly accidents on poorly maintained roads, and unexpected tree falls. For example, a 20-year-old college student tragically lost their life recently near Budigere Cross after being hit by a truck, with investigators probing whether dangerous potholes were a contributing factor. Earlier in June, a 29-year-old man in south Bengaluru suffered fatal head injuries when a tree branch unexpectedly snapped and fell on him. Police subsequently held the then BBMP Deputy Conservator of Forest and other officials accountable for their negligence in this devastating incident.
Despite the state’s grim statistics, a senior police officer suggested that Bengaluru’s accountability system, in some respects, is more robust than other regions, citing instances where even high-ranking officials, such as a police commissioner, have been held responsible for public safety failures. This, they noted, ideally sets a precedent that no one is above the law. However, the officer candidly admitted a significant hurdle: prosecution sanctions against government officials are frequently delayed or denied, leading to countless cases languishing without chargesheets. This systemic flaw often means that junior staff bear the brunt of accountability while senior decision-makers evade consequences.
A poignant example of this bureaucratic inaction is the tragic drowning of a 23-year-old tech professional from Andhra Pradesh in the waterlogged K.R. Circle underpass in central Bengaluru on May 21, 2023. She was traveling with her family when their car became submerged. It took police a full year to file a chargesheet, which ultimately highlighted a severe dereliction of duty by BBMP officers as a contributing factor to the fatal incident.