A 14-year-old Bengaluru boy, Surya Uthkarsha, has gone viral with his civic-tech concept, "RASTHE," nicknamed "Tinder for Footpaths." The crowdsourcing tool allows users to report broken pavements directly to the BBMP, earning praise online for its innovative approach to civic engagement.
Bengaluru's traffic issues are so well-known that they are typically made fun of. However, a 14-year-old city boy chose to tackle the problem in a different way by creating what he refers to as "Tinder for Footpaths."
Surya Uthkarsha's civic-tech concept, a crowdsourcing tool that enables anyone to report broken pavements directly to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has gone viral. Surya made a spectacular one-line pitch for the software, "RASTHE," in a video posted on X: "fixed Bengaluru and TRAFFIC in 30 minutes."
The platform aims to address a problem most Bengaluru pedestrians know too well, unusable footpaths that force people onto already congested roads. According to Surya, users can upload and report broken or missing pavements, swipe through footpath conditions similarly to dating apps, and upvote areas that urgently need repairs.
Related Articles
“I have built a mobile app for Bengaluru users to report footpaths. Say you don’t like a footpath or it’s broken or unusable, upload an image while reporting it, and it shows up on the crowdsourced grid and mapped to your ward, so BBMP can easily fix it,” Surya explained in a video shared on X.
He further described the app as a tool that could transform citizens into active contributors to urban planning by allowing them to flag unsafe walking areas and support locations needing urgent repairs. “If roads are built for cars, this is built for people,” he wrote, suggesting that better footpaths could reduce the number of pedestrians forced onto roads and indirectly help ease traffic congestion.
“If roads are built for cars, this is built for people,” he wrote, adding that better footpaths could help reduce congestion by encouraging safer pedestrian movement.
Take A Look At Viral Post
The idea immediately gained popularity on the internet due to its unusual appearance as well as the fact that many users thought it was unexpectedly useful.
Social Media Reacts
The adolescent received acclaim from many for considering urban infrastructure at a time when most others are still working out their schoolwork. Others made light of the fact that teens using apps were suddenly solving Bengaluru's municipal issues more quickly than the city's real officials.
Many users also praised the app's well-known "swipe" structure, stating that it might make civic engagement feel more accessible and participatory, particularly for younger locals.
For many people on the internet, the viral post represented a unique instance where civic initiative and internet comedy truly came together.
