The menace of potholes continues in Bengaluru despite multiple complaints by commuters. Several videos have been circulated on social media platforms over time showing the run-down condition of the roads in the Karnataka capital. One such clip – shared by a Twitter user- got the attention of billionaire-entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.
“This should be the model operated by all countries. Our smart City Bangalore is exemplary. Their BBMP never works and traffic police do their jobs. No wonder traffic control is tough,” tweeted the user who goes by the name Sahana, tagging the Prime Minister’s Office, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, tech pioneers like Infosys’ Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and others.
“Infact industry honchos should learn a thing or two from this. Ask people from marketing to take over research jobs, quality control to help in human resources. Well the department which doesn’t function should have some existence if only to be more useless,” she added.
The video was shared just a day after the Karnataka High Court directed the state’s home department to register FIR on complaints regarding accidents due to potholes. Earlier, in November, the high court also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct an inspection on the quality of potholes filling or repair work being undertaken by Bengaluru’s civic body – the BBMP – and its contractors.
Biotechnology industry veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared the viral video questioning the BBMP Commissioner why those responsible for the lapses were not being penalised. “Why is @bbmpcommr not penalising those responsible for such unacceptable lapses? City is really suffering,” Shaw tweeted.
Since October 2021, at least nine people have lost their lives due to road accidents in Bengaluru, the police have noted.
In a recent incident, a 55-year-old bike-borne man became the latest victim to the city’s pothole-ridden roads after a tractor ran over him when he slipped trying to avoid a pothole.