JOIN USIt was not long back that Rohini Nair found herself struggling to pull herself and her two-wheeler out of a huge pothole in the middle of a busy road —a nightmare that she would never want to relive.
With the gloomy monsoon hovering over the city, a usual sight on the roads of Bengaluru (apart from the water) are the merciless potholes in the open. Be it the busy commercial roads of Koramangala and Indiranagar or in areas like Kalyan Nagar and Viveknagar, potholes are a common hurdle for commuters. And more common are the accidents that happen because of these death pits.
It is a pressing issue for both four-wheeler and two-wheeler riders. While on one side there is a constant fear of losing balance for bike riders, the four-wheeler drivers are always at a risk of being bumped into by a two-wheeler or splashing water on passers-by during rainy days.
Sagar Shetty, a professional who works with a startup company, agrees to this and says, “I drive an SUV from Wilson Garden, crossing from Koramangala to Viveknagar every day and the number of potholes I encounter in these areas is unimaginable. Though there is no tension of falling into any of them, the annoying part is that everyone on the road slows down to avoid a hole which leads to slow-moving traffic,” says Sagar.
He points out that there are big stretches of unmended roads near the slum area and the passport office in Viveknagar. This issue has been there for a long time now but nothing has been done to resolve it. “Since nothing has been done by the officials, we have no option but to be careful ourselves. There is no instant channel to lodge a complaint by the public and most of us don’t know who to go to and complain,” he adds.
The real ordeal starts when the city is struck by heavy showers. The rain tends to cover these potholes along with the road, making it more challenging for commuters. With the potholes filled with water, a lot of times the drivers miss them and ultimately fall prey to them. Prabhu, an electrician who works with a lighting and home decor company, says that during monsoons the roads are filled with water making it impossible for anyone to point out the holes or see how deep they are. “I travel from Lingarajapuram every day for work and it is very dangerous for riders to go that way as they tend to slip and fall. We have complained to the authorities but nothing has been done as of now, so we ourselves fill these potholes with mud. It is manageable until the rains hit the area. I have seen many accidents happen because of these but commuters can’t be blamed for them,” says Prabhu.
Not only do these potholes pose a threat to one’s life but also affect one’s health. Many, like Prabhu, suffer from back pain caused by the sudden jerks. Rohini Nair says she too has severe back pain from time to time because of these bumpy rides. “Some potholes are huge and are right in the middle of the roads, making it extremely dangerous for commuters, especially two-wheeler riders. Obviously, people are bound to meet with accidents,” she explains.
She travels to places like Halasuru, Jayanagar and Koramangala for work purposes and feels that the situation on the roads is getting worse by the day. She says that even if one is getting late for office, they can’t pick up speed because of the fear of these potholes. “I stay in Ramamurthy Nagar and have to cross Kalyan Nagar, Banaswadi and Bharathnagar to reach my destination and the scene is bad in these areas. Sometimes, people dig up the roads and leave it open which is more annoying. The BBMP is not taking any action on this issue. At least, some kind of sign should be kept; something that gives an idea about the condition of the road. That will be a great help to commuters,” says Rohini.