Death of 32-year-old woman reignites fury over potholes

Bengaluru

The oft-repeated joke that “Bengaluru has more potholes than roads” is no longer merely a social media cliché but a disturbing reflection of grim reality, having taken on a far more disturbing significance in the wake of the recent death of 32-year-old Medha Akarsh from Kerala. Medha, who was riding pillion with her friend, was killed after she fell off the bike and was run over by a goods vehicle. The bike is said to have skidded on a slushy and damaged stretch of road following a sudden braking incident. The tragedy has intensi fied public anger and re newed demands for safer roads and better civic infrastructure.

Residents of Ananthanagar staged protests, alleging that the poor condition of the road and inadequate infrastructure were major factors that led to her death. Even as Karnataka and Bengaluru remain among Agenda for Bengaluru, said improving roads begins with transparency in the contracting process. the highest collectors of motor vehicle and road taxes in the country, the city’s crumbling roads and civic infrastructure continue to pose a serious threat to commuters. Official Karnataka road accident records show that 452 pothole-related accidents were reported between 2021 and 2024, claiming 127 lives.

GBA must conduct regular post-monsoon and post construction inspections and ensure that potholes caused by rain or utility works are repaired with out delay. “Before any road project is declared complete, it must undergo a rigorous and independent inspection with clear checks and balances. Engineers and contractors should be held account able for any potholes that appear after the road be comes operational”, said Vinod Jacob, Urban Strategist and Mobility Crusader. He said that too many lives and limbs are being lost to fatal accidents due to pothole-ridden roads Jacob added that the “Ultimately, the concerned agency must take accountability and guar antee the quality of road maintenance and upkeep”, he said.

Civic experts emphasise that the government and civic agencies must work in coordination and continuously monitor roads across the city to ensure they remain safe and smooth for all citizens. It is also observed that disputes and blame games among agencies such as the GBA, BWSSB, BESCOM, and the city corporations often delay road restoration and re pairs after utility works. Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor of Citizens’ “Contract details should be displayed physically along the road at regular intervals and also published online, including the defects liability period, warranty details, and the official responsible for that stretch”, he said, adding that liability must be fixed for every type of road failure, along with a clear system of punishment. He argued that the ‘biggest villain’ is lack of devolution.

“The State is effectively running the city instead of empowering decentralised, autonomous, unified, and elected city governments. There is no proper planning authority and no meaning full implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment”, he said. Anirudhan called for an independent inspectorate and enforcement agency to carry out frequent and systematic inspections and impose penalties where necessary.