Death by pothole: There’s a way to change that

Source: The post is based on the article “Death by pothole: There’s a way to change that” published in The Times of India on 23^rd August 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Infrastructure

Relevance: Death caused by potholes.

News: As per reports, India ranks the worst in road deaths worldwide. Among these deaths, death by potholes is most shocking in India.

Last week, Kerala high court directed district collectors to proactively avert these “pothole deaths”, as the head of the local disaster management authority.

What is the present situation?

India ranks the worst in road deaths worldwide. Government data put the 2016-20 annual average of pothole deaths at 2,300.

The government data is an underestimation, as the reason behind many such deaths are labeled as ‘death due to negligence’. In these cases, the responsibility for deaths is put on the victims/drivers, instead of engineers or contractors.

The phrase pothole death is unique to India.

What causes these deaths?

Other than Kerala High Court, as mentioned above, Bombay HC as well constituted a special bench on the issue.

Similarly, Karnataka HC warned Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike of the contempt case against it.

All these cases prove the negligence of the authorities and give the culprits orders again and again.

What steps can be taken further to stop pothole accidents?

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 has the provision of a fine up to Rs 1 Lakh to the designated authority, contractor, consultant, or concessionaire for low-grade work that leads to road accidents.

The monetary penalty under the Act 2019 for pothole deaths should be increased.

The use of advanced polymer techniques and rapid-setting concrete in the roads will assure pothole-free roads.