2025 will be remembered as a landmark year for Bengaluru, as the city’s governance structure was innovatively rehauled, almost two decades after a similar reboot in 2007. But none of the problems faced by the residents of the State capital were solved, or even reduced.
Parts of the city were flooded in May, roads were characterised by potholes, the chatter of Bengaluru becoming unviable for business due to its notorious traffic and infrastructure shortcomings kept getting louder – prompting neighbouring States to double down on efforts to woo industry from the city.
Among other things, the under-construction Ejipura flyover persisted as the flag-bearer of the roadblocks to the development of infrastructure in the city.
The opening of the Yellow Line of Namma Metro was a silver lining, but came with its own set of problems, the most glaring being a much-needed line that lacks trains to carry commuters.
What scarred the city the most in 2025 was the high of a Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory in the final of the IPL, after waiting for 17 years, turning into a blot in a matter of hours. As fan frenzy reached its zenith, 11 persons died in a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium while trying to get inside to join the celebrations. Some heads rolled, cricket was stopped in the stadium, but the 11 lives lost will forever be a black mark on the administrators of the city.
