BBMP covers killer pothole

BENGALURU: Killer potholes that dot the city claimed the ife of a 19-year-old boy from Mysuru and left a 42-yearold man with a fractured arm in two separate accidents on Thursday.Ullas, a hotel management student, had come to the city to meet a friend and was riding back to Mysuru when he lost balance of his scooter after hitting a pothole on Mysuru Road flyover. Ullas was thrown off the vehicle, helmet came off and his head hit the median near Nalanda theatre. Bleeding rom his ears, Ullas was rushed to hospital where he succumbed.The boy was doing a sixmonth diploma course in hotel management in Chikkamagaluru, and was set to go to Delhi for training on Friday afternoon. On Thursday , he had taken his mother's gearless scooter and, without informing her, rode to Bengaluru to meet a friend.After the meeting at a coffee shop near Vittal Mallya Road, Ullas started back to Mysuru. The accident occurred around 8pm. Just half an hour later, in an other part of the city , a realty firm employee fell from his bike while trying to avoid a pothole and broke his right arm.KN Balraj, 42, was returning to his Hennur residence around 8.30pm when he encountered a huge pothole near the railway gate on Kanaka Nagar Road, near RT Nagar, north Bengaluru. While negotiating it, he fell into a drain nearby .Despite the pain, he pulled out his phone and called his wife, who rushed to the spot. By then, a group of people rushed him to Dr BR Ambedkar Medical College Hospital where an X-ray revealed fracture of the humerus bone. He was later taken to Hosmat Hospital."He will be operated upon on Friday and discharged on Monday .He will undergo physiotherapy for a couple of weeks. He can ride his bike after three months," said Dr Ajith Benedict, Hosmat Hospital director.Wife Shobha Balraj said, "My husband uses the same route every day . The road has at least 5-6 potholes, and avoiding them is a task.He was wearing helmet; otherwise, who knows what could have happened?" Balraj's brother-in-law Jagannath ruled out filing a complaint against BBMP . "What's the use? Will they do anything?" he asked.On Friday morning, anticipating a backlash, BBMP officials ensured the pothole that claimed young Ullas's life on the Mysuru Road elevated flyover was quickly filled. Police officials at the Central Traffic police station say the potholes and poor condition of some parts of the Mysore road flyover may have been a reason for the accident. Another reason could be the poor road grip that a non-gear scooter has, they said. "We have written to the BBMP numerous times about the pathetic condition of roads in Chamarajpet area. It took the death of a 19-year-old boy for them to come to their senses and do something to fix the road. The other potholes in the area remain as it is," a senior police officer remarked.