When the first spell of the northeast monsoon hit Chennai this October, the city’s roads crumbled exposing the poor planning by civic authorities. The Chennai Corporation was quick to allocate additional funds to control the damage, by ordering patchwork. Residents complain only main roads are being fixed while interior ones still remain neglected. But Chennai isn’t alone. In Bengaluru, potholes have become part of daily life forcing even tech companies like BlackBuck to move out of key zones like Bellandur. In Hyderabad, the story is no different, where residents in Yousufguda and Rahmat Nagar have waited years for basic roadwork and the constituency is witnessing by-polls. In this episode of In Public Interest, Shabbir Ahmed with Samrah Attar and Anjana Meenakshi, examine how civic apathy continues to endanger lives across southern India and the lack of accountability.