It has been over two weeks since 19-year-old Tasdeeq Bushra lost her life due to the poor conditions of Bengaluru’s roads. On February 6, 2021, Tasdeeq was hit by an oncoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) truck while trying to avoid potholes on the Hennur-Lingarajapuram main road. The first-year medical student was returning home from her first day college when the accident happened, said her father Mushtaq Ahmed.
“We have lost our only child. There is no amount that can compensate for the loss of life of our daughter. Due to the negligence of the authorities, an innocent life has been lost. We don’t want more innocent lives like Tasdeeq’s to be lost due to such negligence,” said the grieving father.
He further added that they have registered a complaint against the driver of the truck. The driver has been arrested under section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (death caused by negligence).
“Whom will we pin the blame on? The vehicle was BBMP’s and so was the driver, the roads were poorly built by them. We just convinced ourselves saying maybe it was God’s will to call her so soon. But will we keep calling every accident that happened because some official did not exercise his duty properly as an ‘Act of God’?” expressed Mushtaq Ahmed.
According to him, the authorities of BBMP, Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) and Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have been blaming each other for the accident.
Meanwhile, Citizens for Bengaluru, a group that actively advocates for increased citizen participation in local governance, have urged the people of Bengaluru to assist the distraught family in seeking justice for their daughter. They demand that stringent action be initiated against the authorities responsible for the poor maintenance of the road.
“A press conference was conducted with participation from both political and social activist fronts. A blossoming flower was nipped in the bud. We the Citizens of Bengaluru urge the state government that stringent action is taken against the BBMP officials responsible for not maintaining the roads,” they wrote in a statement.
Syed Humayun, who nearly met with an accident at the same spot moments after Tasdeeq, said that the officials had neither placed cone around the pothole, nor did they close it for two days. “We should appoint one civilian officer in every area to monitor the roads in the city. Every ward has an office and these officers should co-ordinate with ward-level officials and get maintenance work done. Without increased citizen participation, the situation will not change,” he said.
Another activist, Asif said that the group is planning to start a Twitter campaign, wherein they will upload photos of bad roads and tag the accounts of the authorities, in a bid to prevent more lives from being lost.