Residents declare pothole-riddled Bengaluru road dead, perform last rites

Like most of Bengaluru roads, Kaggadasapura Main Road has been riddled with crater-like potholes. Citizens have been lamenting about the ill health of the stretch for six months now.

After a long struggle, residents of the area have decided to symbolically put the stretch to rest. Over 120 residents from Kaggadasapura, Byrasandra, CV Raman Nagar and GM Palya got together on Wednesday evening and performed the last rites for the Kaggadasapura Main Road, claiming that the road had died due to negligence.

Residents made a dummy grave on the road, where they placed wreaths and lit candles marking the 'sad demise' of Kaggadasapura Main Road in East Bengaluru.

One of the residents had dressed up as Yamaraj, the god of death in Hindu mythology, and was accompanied protesters who highlighted the gravity of the situation.

“We don’t know what else to do to get the BBMP’s attention. If you see the condition of this main road, you will be shocked. It has been littered with huge crater-sized potholes. We have been lamenting about it for the past six months and no one has bothered to fix it,” said Kannan Iyer, a member of the Versova Layout Residents Welfare Association, who spearheaded the protest.

The resident dressed as Yamaraj was there to represent the protestor’s message. Residents placed flowers and candles on a symbolic grave, which represented the mortal remains of the pothole-riddled road.

“Many heavy vehicles, trucks and buses and innumerable cars and two-wheelers have got stuck on the road due to its very deplorable condition. The road is used by a lot of commuters, mostly techies, working in Bagmane Tech Park and other software companies located on Outer Ring Road and Whitefield. Most commuters reported that the sad state of the road, coupled with heavy traffic and incessant rains have led to frequent break-down of vehicles and loss of precious time and resources,” he said.

“For the past six months we have been sending emails, written letters and even personally met the BBMP officials and the local corporator. Not once has anyone come for inspection or done something to rectify the situation. Fed up with the attitude of civic authorities, we decided to organize a silent symbolic protest,” Kannan Iyer added.

Protestors claimed that heavy vehicles, cars, buses and two-wheelers have been getting stuck in the potholes for the past few months.

“Once vehicles get stuck in one of the potholes, it is extremely difficult to get them out due to the size of these potholes. It’s is not just that. One man from an African country also died because of the potholes on this road but no one bothered to cover up the potholes even after the death was reported,” he said.

Kannan said the silent candlelight protest was organized to highlight the condition of the road. "The rain has made it even worse. Walking, let alone driving, is impossible on this road. The road is dead now,” he added.

Intensifying their protest against the Congress government, BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa and his close aide R Ashok are now on a tour of Bengaluru where the leaders are spotting potholes and planting saplings in large-sized craters.

On Thursday, Yeddyurappa planted saplings in potholes in Shivajinagar and CV Raman Nagar.