Bengaluru mantra: Om Potholeaya Namaha'

Bengaluru: The people of HSR Layout chanted a  mantra not found in any Vedic book  as they offered "pooja" to a  killer pothole on the 11th cross,  Sector 1 near Cambridge School Saturday.  

Fed up with the BBMP's lethargy in repairing their roads, they were on a unique protest, "praying" to the killer potholes to save them from being injured or dying in accidents caused by their presence. It won't stop there!

Until the BBMP gets down to business, the residents of HSR Layout will offer puja at every pothole in this suburb. The people's anger was fuelled by the near escape a seventh grader, Eshwar, of Cambridge School, who recently fell from his bicycle due to a pothole in his way while trying to avoid a speeding SUV in the area. The boy is only one of many residents, who have been seriously injured as a result of the potholes in the area.

"We have been appealing to the BBMP to repair the roads for the last eight years, but have received no response. Forget asphalting the roads, it doesn't even care to fill the potholes that have been here for years.

You see around 40 to 45 potholes in just a 200 metre stretch of road in many parts of HSR Layout, which is a huge problem for commuters and pedestrians. We had no option but to launch this protest,” said Ms Kavitha Reddy of Hasiru Mitra, an NGO working with many Resident Welfare Associations in HSR Layout.

Lamented Residents’ Welfare Association, HSR Sector 2 member, Srikantha, "Nobody listens to us or does anything to solve our problem. BBMP's policies are flawed. When it gives a contract for laying a new road, it does not talk about its maintenance.  The last asphalting was done here eight years ago!” The people intend to keep up the pressure on the BBMP by offering “pooja” to  different potholes every day. 

“Starting from today our volunteers will offer poojas to many potholes in HSR Layout. Around 75  volunteers will upload photographs of every pooja performed on social media to draw the attention of the whole world and  shame the civic authorities," said Mr Kamesh Rastogi, a senior manager in an IT firm.