MP Tejasvi Surya urges state govt to find immediate solutions to Bengaluru’s traffic woes
Bengaluru: Bengaluru continues to grapple with severe traffic congestion and mobility challenges, as the number of vehicles on the roads now exceeds the city's population. The situation is exacerbated by narrow roads, fragmented public transport services, and delays in Metro project completions, leading to widespread frustration among residents.
Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya has called for an urgent meeting of elected representatives and traffic experts to address the city’s gridlock issues. In a recent post on 'X', Surya criticized previous governments, including his own party, the BJP, for their lack of vision and leadership in tackling Bengaluru's traffic problems.
Surya highlighted the alarming rate at which private vehicles are being added to the city's roads, far outpacing the capacity of the existing infrastructure. He pointed out that this excessive traffic congestion has made even simple activities, such as walking in residential areas, increasingly difficult. The MP advocated for straightforward solutions, including reducing the number of private vehicles and improving public transport services to make them more accessible and reliable throughout the city.
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He also took aim at the current management of the city’s infrastructure, noting the absence of a qualified traffic engineer in the road wing and the ongoing vacancy for the Managing Director position at Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Surya attributed the slow progress of Metro projects and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) to these leadership gaps, stressing that the suburban rail network also suffers from a lack of dedicated leadership.
Surya expressed concerns over the commercialization of residential areas, where the unchecked development of malls, pubs, and other commercial establishments has encroached on neighborhoods. He argued that these issues stem from a broader governance failure by all major political parties and emphasized the need for collective responsibility in addressing Bengaluru’s traffic crisis.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, Surya vowed to continue his efforts to push for solutions. He cited his previous agitations for the completion of Metro Phase-3 and other key projects as examples of his commitment to finding meaningful resolutions to the city's traffic woes.
Bengaluru's mobility problems need radical solutions to prevent an absolute systemic collapse.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 22, 2024
Will push for implementation of all solutions which can ease traffic congestion & related issues.
Here's the coverage of our proposal to the DCM, GoK.@TOIIndiaNews@NKaggere pic.twitter.com/s28Ozc2G0i
Wrote to DCM @DKShivakumar & urged him to convene a meeting on implementing short & long term solutions on improving Bengaluru's Urban Mobility.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 21, 2024
Bengaluru is crying for all of us to rise to the occasion together and this is a test of all of our commitment to the city. https://t.co/kFNH7yTNxG pic.twitter.com/ejBA1kC7ob
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Bengaluru: A new health report has revealed that over 75% of Karnataka's population screened in 2024 is either obese or overweight, highlighting an alarming rise in lifestyle-related health issues.
According to the Health of the Nation 2025 report by Apollo Hospitals, as cited by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, 56% of those screened were diagnosed as obese, while another 21% were classified as overweight.
The report underscores a growing public health crisis, driven by sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and undiagnosed chronic conditions that often do not show visible symptoms. The annual report, which examined health data from over 2.5 million preventive screenings conducted across the Apollo ecosystem in India, reveals that symptom-based healthcare is increasingly insufficient to address these hidden health risks.
In Karnataka, the report found that 28% of the individuals screened were hypertensive, with half of them classified as pre-hypertensive. Diabetes was found in 20% of the population, with an additional 25% falling into the pre-diabetic category. These figures reflect the rising metabolic stress among asymptomatic individuals, many of whom are unaware of their conditions.
Additionally, the report noted that 84% of the screened individuals in the state had low vitamin D levels, which can negatively impact bone health and immunity. Furthermore, 64% exhibited reduced flexibility, affecting musculoskeletal wellness.
Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, emphasised the need for India to shift towards a preventive health culture. "Early screening, personalised interventions, and health education should become integral to our homes, schools, and workplaces," TNIE quoted him as saying.
The report also highlighted several other health threats, including fatty liver disease, post-menopause health risks, and childhood obesity. Of the 2.5 million people screened nationally, 65% had fatty liver with 85% of those cases being non-alcoholic. Heart disease signs were present in 46% of asymptomatic individuals, while post-menopausal women saw a sharp increase in both obesity (from 76% to 86%) and diabetes (from 14% to 40%).
Childhood obesity is also becoming a significant concern, with the report revealing that 28% of college students were either overweight or obese, and 19% showed signs of prehypertension.
Mental health issues, often under-reported, emerged as another area of concern, with 7% of women and 5% of men screened nationwide showing symptoms of clinical depression, particularly among the middle-aged population.
