A day after two children and their mother were injured in an accident on Varthur-Gunjur Road, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asphalted the stretch and suspended an engineer for failing to ensure the road was motorable. Residents, however, questioned why it took an accident for the civic body to take action.
BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar visited the spot on Thursday and met with the family of the victims. The three-year-old who was injured in the accident is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
The accident occurred when the mother, who was returning home after picking up her nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter from school, tried to negotiate a pothole on her two-wheeler and skidded. The entire stretch had been dug up by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to lay a pipeline.
In a tweet, Mr. Kumar said it was unfortunate that the accident had taken place because of negligence of officials. The road restoration work is in progress, he said, adding that the engineer concerned had been suspected. He also maintained that this was in line with the BBMP’s “zero-tolerance policy” on maintaining roads and infrastructure.
Mayor’s promise
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun welcomed the Commissioner’s decision. She urged the victims to submit their medical bills at her office. “I will reimburse the medical expenses incurred using the Mayor’s discretionary medical grant,” she told The Hindu
After visiting the accident spot, Mr. Kumar met with residents and members of Varthur Rising, a citizens’ group. Jagadish Reddy, a member of the group, said it wasn’t just the Varthur-Gunjur Road that was in a pathetic state. “Other roads in the area too are in bad shape.”
Complaining about the shoddy repair work, residents alleged that roads in the area were not motorable and had become death traps, especially for two-wheeler riders. Citing the case of the Varthur-Balegere Road, leading to the Outer Ring Road, Mr. Reddy said accidents had become a common occurrence. Members of Varthur Rising also called for better coordination between agencies as most of the problematic roads had been dug up by BWSSB but had not been restored or repaired yet.
“The issue has been raised several times during ward committee meetings, to no avail. We are not convinced by the assurances made by BBMP officials, including Mr. Kumar. Suspending an engineer means nothing to us, unless the roads are repaired and made motorable. We have to deal with poor roads every day,” Mr. Reddy said.
