Pothole accident injures IT professional, Bengaluru's poor road infrastructure back in focus

A senior IT professional’s commute turned into a prolonged battle with pain and medical expenses after his scooter hit a deep pothole in Mahadevapura, once again drawing attention to Bengaluru's failing road infrastructure and the widening gap between official claims and ground reality.

Sridhar Mudooru suffered a serious shoulder fracture when he lost control of his scooter on CDP Road connecting Varthur and Panathur on January 12. The stretch falls within the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, an area that has seen repeated complaints over road conditions even as the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) maintains that thousands of potholes have been repaired across the city.

Doctors have advised Sridhar to undergo surgery costing more than Rs 1.25 lakh, followed by at least two months of complete rest. Full recovery, he has been told, could take over six months. 

“This road has not been repaired for several months. I use the Outer Ring Road daily for work. Had the authorities fixed this stretch in time, the accident could have been avoided,” said Sridhar.  “Apart from the financial burden, I now have to live with constant pain for no fault of mine, he added. 

Sridhar said the traffic situation in the Varthur–Panathur belt leaves residents with few options. “Everyone knows how heavy the traffic is here. The roads are simply not adequate for the population density. A seven-kilometre drive can take one-and-a-half hours. That is why I chose to use a scooter, even though I already have back pain,” he said.

Citizen groups argue that the incident is symptomatic of deeper, long-standing issues in the constituency. Jagadeesh, an activist with Varthur Rising, said road conditions in the area have been poor for nearly two decades. “We have consistently flagged these problems to multiple authorities. Flooding, crumbling roads and silt accumulation have only worsened the situation. Despite repeated requests, the response has been largely lackadaisical,” he tells DH, adding that officials often address only a fraction of the issues raised.

Administrative transition adds to delays

Clement Jayakumar, member secretary of the Mahadevapura Task Force, said the transition to the GBA has further complicated matters. “With the change in governance structure, officer roles have been altered. For ongoing projects, there is very little monitoring at present. Accountability is unclear, which affects both the pace and quality of work,” he said.

He also pointed to the lack of training for officials now handling multiple responsibilities. “Earlier, there were separate engineers for roads, lakes and stormwater drains. Now one officer is expected to manage all these sectors, often without adequate training,” he said.

Frustrated by continued inaction, citizens groups organised a cleaning and awareness drive near the accident spot on Saturday. Their demands included a dedicated annual road maintenance plan for key arterial roads across Balagere, Gunjur, Varthur, Panathur and Sarjapur, mechanised removal of roadside silt, urgent resurfacing of major stretches including SH-35, and regular public disclosure of road maintenance budgets and expenditure.