Karnataka HC Seeks FIR Details on Bengaluru Pothole Deaths and Injuries

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the State government to submit details on the number of FIRs registered in connection with deaths and injuries allegedly caused by potholes across Bengaluru. The directive was issued during a hearing on Friday before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2015 by Vijayan Menon and others, which sought directions for the repair of potholes on major and arterial roads across the city and the removal of encroachments from stormwater drains. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 16.

During the proceedings, the Greater Bengaluru Authority sought additional time to file an affidavit, stating that road repair work was underway. The bench orally noted that the civic authority had already been granted a final opportunity in July to submit the required affidavit.

According to submissions by the authority, around 1,02,022 potholes had been identified across Bengaluru through April. Citywide repair progress has reached 74 percent, leaving approximately 2,600 potholes still pending attention.

In September 2024, the High Court had directed the then Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, which was later replaced by the GBA, to place on record the mechanism followed annually to identify and repair potholes and ensure safe road conditions for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

The condition of the city's roads has faced continued scrutiny following several accidents linked to damaged surfaces. In a recent incident in Hebbagodi, a 32-year-old woman from Kerala, employed at the provident fund office, died after the two-wheeler on which she was riding pillion met with an accident while attempting to avoid a pothole. The rider lost control while navigating around the crater, causing the woman to fall onto the road, where she was run over by a commercial vehicle and died at the spot.