POTHOLES THAT SPELL DEATH

POTHOLES THAT SPELL DEATH



A biker had a brush with death when his two-wheeler went into a poorly-filled pothole on Dr Rajkumar Road. Is BBMP waiting for a few fatalities to wake up to its task of levelling such potholes?


M K ASHOKA




Beware of sand-filled potholes. If there is a shower, the sand will get washed off and a gaping tryst with danger will lie in wait for motorists. Suresh Chandra, a resident of Rajajinagar, had a near-fatal encounter with a rogue pothole near the Navarang Theatre junction on Dr Rajkumar Road last week. The road is one of the busiest stretches in the city as it is a gateway to North Karnataka.
At around 11 pm, Chandra was on his way home and was passing Saptagiri wine store when the pothole caved in, sending him for a toss. “Almost half the front of my scooter went into the pothole. I fell unconscious and was shifted by members of the public to a hospital,” he said. “The pothole was two feet deep. Luckily, there was no vehicle coming from behind,” he added. Chandra suffered serious injuries to both hands and could not move out of his house for two days.

‘CHALTA HAI’ BBMP

Typical of the way things work at the local ward level, even after the incident was reported to BBMP and the jurisdictional Subramanyanagar traffic police station, no corrective measures were taken. Instead, it was left to members of the public to fill the pothole with stones as a temporary safety measure.
According to the Subramanyanagar traffic police, a private cellphone company which had dug the road for laying a cable is responsible for the situation. “After their work, they filled the pothole with sand, least bothered about the fact that the sand will get washed away by the rain and the pothole will continue to be a hazard for commuters, especially bike riders,” Chandra said.
When contacted, ward engineer Nanjaiah said he would see that the pothole is filled up immediately.
According to residents of the area, there are more than 20 potholes on Dr Rajkumar Road, most of them posing a serious danger to motorists. The Subramanyanagar and Rajajinagar traffic police expressed helplessness in the matter, saying it was the responsibility of BBMP.