Potholes return to haunt grieving dad

Dadarao Bilhore started filling up potholes across the town after his son crashed right into a crater and died three years in the past. Now, his sister-in-law has suffered critical injuries due to potholes

Goregaon resident Radha Bilhore suffered cuts to brow and left eye on July 12 whilst riding pillion to his son Ram, who used to be also guidance the motorcycle when Dadarao’s son died.

The man who made it a project to individually refill as many potholes as he can across the town after dropping his son to a pothole-related coincidence in 2015, now unearths his family members inflicted with critical injuries in a similar mishap. Goregaon resident Dadarao Bilhore, who has single-handedly crammed up loads of potholes from Goregaon to Mankhurd, literally discovered the craters chasing his family when his sister-in-law Radha, riding pillion to her son Ram on July 12, landed on her face after their motorbike hit a pothole on the Aarey Colony Road. Ironically, 10 days ahead of the mishap, Bilhore had crammed up potholes on the very stretch where Radha and her son crashed into one.

While Radha, 46, ended up with four stitches on the brow, a deep reduce on the left eye, and multiple bruises, her 25-year-old son Ram is stuffed with regret and self-loathing, as he used to be the one guidance the motorcycle three years in the past when his cousin Prakash – Bilhore’s son – died once they hit a pothole on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. The cousins lived in the similar area and had been returning home after completing 16-year-old Prakash’s admission formalities at a polytechnic college in Bhandup.

“I'm really not certain whether BMC or MMRDA is at fault for the July 12 incident. I don’t even know whether any agency will probably be held accountable, as I’m expecting justice for my son who died three years in the past. This, regardless of submitting a police criticism and moving court docket,” Bilhore mentioned.

The Bilhores perform a grocery shop in Marol and have been instructed via well-wishers to buy a automotive. “Friends and relatives tell us to eliminate the two-wheeler. Apart from the truth that we can’t afford one, why can’t those riding two-wheelers be ensured of a secure power?” he requested.

Potholes go back to hang-out grieving dad

The family could also be attempting to console Ram, who has developed a terror of riding two-wheelers after the newest incident. For him, gazing his mother in ache has reopened the three-year-old wounds. Said his mother Radha, “I have already misplaced my nephew and my son blames himself for the whole thing as a result of this latest incident. The pothole used to be full of water and there used to be no way any individual will have spotted it.”

She mentioned that the judiciary will have to make sure that the federal government and the bureaucrats are made in command of such mishaps. “I cannot cross to my shop as a result of injuries. Who will make amends for the clinical expense? Why will have to my family be at the receiving finish of any individual’s carelessness?” Radha requested.

Bilhore, whose work used to be reported via this newspaper (‘A dad fills up town’s potholes, to mend the hole in his middle’, MM, February 1, 2016), mentioned he’ll proceed to refill the potholes as a result of he doesn’t want to see more such incidents. “Those who've misplaced their family members in such mishaps will realise what I’m going thru,” he mentioned.

HC questions state

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Friday directed the state executive to clarify who used to be accountable for the maintenance and service of the Mumbai-Goa National Highway. A bench of Justices AS Oka and RI Chagla also requested the state executive to tell the court docket of the steps it had taken, both to fix the potholes alongside the highway or ask the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take action.

The bench gave the directions whilst listening to a public passion litigation (PIL) filed via legal professional Owais Pechkar, who mentioned stretch between Panvel and Goa on the National Highway 66 used to be riddled with potholes and posed a threat to the lives of countless commuters on a daily basis.

Also, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) slammed the BMC for its “inefficient tactics and lack of transparency” whilst awarding contracts for street development and upkeep. The report mentioned that between 2011and 2017, the BMC could spend best 57% of budgeted price range for the road development and upkeep. The CAG advisable that the BMC keep away from awarding of works/attaching further works without inviting tenders, which will have to be awarded in accordance with the prescribed laws and tips. INPUTS: MAKARAND GADGIL

Bilhore fills up potholes in the town after the demise of his son Prakash.