With these killer potholes, will pregnant women deliver safely?

Ahna Prakash | NT

Bengaluru: Pregnant women are reluctant to travel by bike and auto to hospitals on bumpy, potholed roads in the city. The road near BBMP’s maternity hospital at Siddhaiah Road in Shantinagar is an example of the delay in asphalting pothole-ridden roads.

The entire area around Wilson Garden Road, Siddhaiah Road, BMTC Bus Depot-2, is filled with potholes, making it difficult for pregnant women to travel. Activists say that most of the women who come to this hospital belong to poor families.

And hence because of that they use autos and bikes to reach the hospital, making them prone to accidents. Keerti Raju, a resident of Shanti nagar recently took her house help to the maternity hospital, said, “The condition of the road is so bad that it seems like we are waiting for an accident to happen. Last week I took my eight-month-pregnant house help to the maternity hospital and it was scary.

The auto was almost going to get into an accident, but luckily we are safe. The authorities should at least make sure that roads around the maternity hospital are in good condition.” R Subramanya, an activist, said that there is a lack of coordination among civic authorities and hence most of the work is not completed on time. “It is the fault of the BBMP and its departments for neglecting the roads.

And because of that, it has become difficult for pregnant woman to go to the hospital. I believe that the matter should be taken very seriously and work should be started quickly,” he said. The BBMP ward engineer said that the asphalting work in the area will begin soon. How soon is soon? We have to wait and watch.

Many potholes have been created on the roads of Shantinagar area due to unauthorised traffic and also because the telecom companies have cut the road and not closed it scientifically. It has been alleged that most of the potholes in this part are being constructed due to water pipe constructions.