Trivializing deaths due to potholes in big Indian cities reflects political apathy towards a serious issue

By Sheshu Babu*
When terrorists attack, the media splashes news quickly and continue to discuss at length. The politicians try to use the news for boosting their political career. But deaths due to cleaning drainage holes or potholes on roads are rarely discussed by either media or politicians.

The deaths due to bad roads, speed breakers, potholes, in 2015 was 10,727 and number of people who lost lives was 3,416 which rose from 3,039 in previous year.( Bad roads killed over 10k people in 2015: 3,416 due to potholes, Dipak K Dash, August 1,2016, timesofindia.indiatimes.com).

Cases reported were 10,876 across the country according to data compiled by road transport ministry but as Ashish Kumar, former chief of the transport research wing opined, the number could be much higher as there is no robust and scientific mechanism for collecting data . Many accidents go unreported.

Potholes killed almost 10 persons daily with total fatalities amounting to 3,597 , a 50% increase in 2017 from 2016. The magnitude of the accidents can be understood by the fact that terrorist attacks including ' Naxal' attacks was 803. (Posted July 15, 2018, thehindujagruti.org). Thus, road safety is being overlooked for years.

Reasons

Roads in several parts of the country often develop potholes during monsoon leading to accidents and traffic jams.( July15,2018, scroll.in). Data shared by states show that 987 deaths were reported in UP followed by 726 in Maharashtra and so on. The deaths has stirred a debate on the inefficiency and corruption of Municipal bodies and road -- owning authorities with government launching public awareness campaign. Lack of road discipline and most two- wheelers not using helmets has added to the problem over the years.

Commenting on the situation road safety expert Rohit Baluja said negligent officials should be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under IPC. (July 16,2018, defence.pk ... .... World Affairs Forum ... Central and South Asia). Union road ministry officials say that provision of fine has been made in Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill for poor and faulty design and maintenance by negligent and corrupt officials.

The bill is stuck in the parliament due to frequent disruptions. The legislation does not spell out how to book authorities said Baluja and questioned the fixing of ' price' for loss of lives. KK Kapila, chairman of International Roads Federation was optimistic that the legislation may lead to safer roads and urged the MPs to pass the amendment bill rising above party lines as the matter is important.
Another factor concerning rise of pothole related accidents is the apathy of highway engineers. They ( both retired and active) do very little on their own. They look for the government to act. Engineers also do not have suitable pothole patching mix which is cheap and economical to produce and apply, more or less durable over long periods and ready to apply in any season including lull periods of rainy season.

Positive Approach

Taking cognisance of the report of pothole deaths, the Supreme Court, a bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the SC appointed road safety committee to look into the issue and file report within two weeks. The panel headed by Justice (retd) KS Radhakrishnan has been asked to give suggest measures needed to deal with the problem. (July 18,2018, kracktivist.org, “SC expresses concern over pothole deaths). The bench also observed that families of those killed in such accidents should be entitled to compensation.
Road accidents occur frequently in rainy season with open sewer flowing on the main paths of travel and potholes being invisible in the flow of water. It is unfortunate that the politicians raising hue and cry over the attacks by terrorists and Maoists do not take up the issue of road repairs and closing of potholes with similar intensity.

Roads are used by common people not only to travel for offices or other cities but also to ferry goods or shift patients to hospitals. Merely observing ' road safety week' will not solve the whole problem. Political will is crucial to take effective measures in providing good roads to travelling public.

Politics over potholes

While the SC termed Mumbai pothole deaths as 'frightening' , it is very sad that the PWD minister of Maharashtra Chandrakant Patil said that potholes alone cannot be blamed for accidents (July 15, 2018, indianexpress.com). Trivializing of the deaths reflects apathy of political system towards a serious issue. Congress state chief Sanjay Nirupam said he would ' file an FIR' on CM. This is playing politics over a burning issue. Solution lies in repairing roads on a war footing to stop such accidents rather than entering blame game that does not have any impact.
---
*The writer from anywhere and everywhere had a 'narrow escape' from death when the writer accidentally stepped on a pothole thanks to the 'walking cane' while returning from office work late in the night raining heavily during monsoon

Comments

Adani coalmine delayed? Australian senate fails to pass crucial "reform" amendment for project's financial closure

Adanis' Mundra power plant, controversial in Australia By A Representative In what is being described as a new “new hurdle”, the proposed Adani coalmine in the Queensland state of in Australia failed to get the crucial Australian Parliamentary nod, essential for financial closure for one of the biggest coalmining projects in the world. The government lost the Senate vote 35-33, meaning the legislation won't pass until the Senate returns in mid-June.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor* Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Trust, we (from People to PM and President) did not take a Holy Dip in some Holy Shit!

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava I could see two deeply interlinked aspects between human and water in #MahaKumbh2025. Firstly, the HOPE that a ‘holy dip’ in the River Ganga (colloquially referred as dubki and spiritually as ‘Snan’) will cleanse oneself (especially the sins); and secondly, the TRUST that the water is pure to perform the cleansing alias living the hope. Well, I consider hope to be self-dependent while, trust is a multi-party dependent situation. The focus here is on the trust and I shall write later on hope.

Hyderabad seminar rekindles memories of the spark lit 50 years ago by students

By Harsh Thakor* History is something we constantly remember and reflect upon, but certain moments and events bring it back to our memory in a special way. For the Telugu people, and Telangana in particular, the memorial seminar held on February 20–21 was a significant occasion to recall the glorious events, transformations, leaders, and heroes of past struggles. Thousands of students rewrote the history of people's movements in Andhra Pradesh, carrying revolutionary zeal and the spirit of self-sacrifice to levels comparable to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment. The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents. The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

Vadodara citizens urge authorities to adhere to environmental mandates in Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project

By A Representative A coalition of environmental activists, ecologists, and urban planners in Vadodara has issued an urgent appeal to state and municipal authorities, demanding strict compliance with court-mandated guidelines for the upcoming Vishwamitri River rejuvenation project. Scheduled to commence in March 2025, the initiative aims to mitigate flooding and restore the river, but citizens warn that current plans risk violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and jeopardizing the river’s fragile ecosystem, home to endangered species like crocodiles and Indian Softshell Turtles.

Buddhist communities in Michigan protest for Mahabodhi Temple’s return to Buddhist control

By A Representative Buddhist communities in Michigan have staged protests demanding the return of the Mahabodhi Vihara in Gaya, Bihar, India, to full Buddhist control. The Mahabodhi Temple, regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site in Buddhism, is currently managed under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, which grants a majority of control to non-Buddhists.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das* India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

Search This Blog