A helmeted man planted a sapling in a pothole on Magrath Road near Hosmat Hospital and posted the video of his act on social media.
His attempt to draw the attention of the civic authorities and elected representatives received cheer from netizens, and comes days after an activist did a mock moonwalk on the pothole-filled roads dressed like an astronaut.
“There is a pot on the road and I just planted a sapling in it,” the man tells in the video. “Driving on a pothole-filled road is as dangerous as driving without a helmet. I used to travel on this road frequently and was quite distressed about its pathetic condition. This was one of my ideas to draw the BBMP’s attention to fill potholes in the city,” he said.
The man filled the pothole with soil he had carried with him and planted the sapling. He also kept a plaque that read: ‘#BBMP, what’s your move?’
No traffic policeman was present when the man planted the sapling, while commuters seemingly lauded his efforts to get the attention of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
“Nobody was angry with what I was doing, despite them knowing that the plant was actually blocking the way. Instead, they smiled and appreciated my efforts in getting the BBMP’s attention. They at least saw the plant and avoided driving through a dangerous pothole,” he said.
The helmet man is planning a wider plantation campaign by inviting volunteers over social media to do similar planting in potholes in their areas. “We’ll do this (sapling planting) in many potholes in many areas in the coming days,” he said.
The sapling and the board disappeared from the spot later in the day.
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