Bengaluru: Killer potholes could break your back, warn doctors

Bengaluru: Though the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) claims to have filled all the potholes in the city, the ground reality ill conceals the fact that the danger continues lurk at every corner for unwary citizens.

Many netizens, on an everyday basis, post pictures of bad roads and potholes in their areas tagging the BBMP authorities, however it hasn't helped them. Infrastructural shortcomings causing injuries and deaths have become the lot of the citizens living in the State capital.

The obvious question that comes to one's mind is: When the authorities cannot permanently fix such simple problems as potholes on city roads, can we expect them to implement bigger projects? The harried citizens have resorted to unique protests such as doing puja to potholes with elaborate rituals in a bid to draw the attention of the civic officials and the State government to the ever haunting problem without success.

Apart from deaths and injuries due to accidents caused by pothole-ridden roads, long-term health issues among vehicle drivers especially those who use two-wheelers in Bengaluru are too many, warn doctors.

Neurospinal surgeons in the city say they are seeing a lot of youngsters, who commute by two-wheelers, visiting them with complaints of spinal problems. They are convinced that potholes, coupled with skewed speed-breakers, are taking a toll on people's spinal health.

Speaking to The Hans India, Consultant - Neurosurgery, Head of Spine Services, Aster CMI Hospital, Dr Umesh Srikantha said, "When a vehicle drives over a pothole, the body suddenly goes down and up movement which can affect the lower back, the neck and the shoulder. In severe cases, sprains and strains of the lumbar spine can happen. The sudden force can cause the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower back to overstretch or tear causing acute low back pain, tightness and muscle spasms."

Those who drive two-wheelers don't have proper back support, unlike cars. So, they are more prone to developing back pain when they go for very long rides, in the same position. Accidents due to potholes can cause severe spinal injury or slip disc, a common condition that can be quite painful, gruelling and can trigger numbness, or weakness in the limbs. When a slipped disc bulges into the spinal canal, it exerts pressure on the spinal nerves and pinches them, causing pain, he said. "Potholes cannot be avoided. One must take extra care while driving. Drive slow and be responsible," he said

Chief Physiotherapist, Aster RV Hospital, Palak Dengla said, many two-wheeler riders have suffered spine and neck injuries because of poor road conditions. Majority of OPD patients which we see these days have a chronic issue with their neck or lower back. Previously, it was largely adults over the age of 50, but these days it is more of 23 – 31 years of age. Not so surprising, the number of kids being affected is also increasing. This shift is mostly due to lengthy periods of time being spent in front of the system which in turn leads to malconditioning of the bones and muscles. To add to it, the long hours of traffic and driving on pothole-ridden roads leads to an increase in issues like slip disc, spondylitis, trapezitis, headaches, knee pain, etc. Besides being exposed to dangerous carbon emissions from other cars on the road, two-wheeler users are more vulnerable to road accidents and injuries.

The quality of the musculoskeletal system, which includes the back, neck, and spine, is harmed by bumpy and potholed roads. Micro-trauma which can develop because of severe wounds, fractures, dislocations, or acute disc issues, are the most common symptoms. Back discomfort can spread from the lower back to the upper back, neck, and shoulder blades. It may also have a negative impact on the sexual health of two-wheeler drivers, he warns.

He explains, pain in the lower back and spine is usually relieved by using an over-the-counter pain treatment ointment or pill. This may provide temporary respite, but the discomfort may quickly become chronic and ultimately handicap the person in question. The first line of defence against back, spine, and neck discomfort is prevention. Be alert and shift your body in accordance with the movement of the bike and avoid sitting tight or rigid when riding. When confronted with a pothole or bump, shift the pressure to the foot and knee joints, and elevate the back slightly. Before riding a bike, you should practise the correct flexible exercise to help you acclimatise to the bike's motions and avoid back pain. Walking, jogging, and swimming are recommended workouts for maintaining a flexible back and relieving strain on the spine and neck. A visit to a physiotherapist at the onset of back and spine pain aids in early healing and avoids surgery in the long run.

He added, some other tips to follow are-inflate your tyres to the pressure advised by your car manufacturer. This is because both over-inflated and under-inflated tyres are susceptible to pothole damage. Do not follow any vehicle too closely behind lest you fail to notice the pothole that could take you by surprise and land you in trouble.

A Bannerghatta resident, Reema Sequiera said, "I had two falls in last one year due to huge craters and potholes on the main road in my area. Due to this I had got sciatica which later worsened into slip disc. The city roads are so bad that doctor have advised me not to ride bike. But it would be difficult for us to commute in the city without a bike, as I can't afford a car. And taking public transport is always not possible, as we can't reach every place on time. The civic officials and politicians also use the same roads to commute but they are not bothered."

Another victim, Devendra S, a photographer said, "I keep travelling in and around the city and have a track on the city roads condition. The number of potholes which BBMP claim they have filled all of them is not at all true. I struggle every day to drop my son at school on the pothole-ridden roads. The same roads turn even more dangerous in the night if there are no streetlights. Besides accidents, our vehicles suffer heavy damage and cost us a bomb to have them repaired. We have to contend with such horrible roads even after paying all taxes to the government. This is a never-ending issue. Some quick-fix measures are being taken to cover potholes as elections for BBMP are nearing. They are nothing but temporary thing."

The victims of accidents caused by bad roads and potholes are entitled to compensation of Rs 15,000 from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) under Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. The civic body will pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh in case of death due to potholes or bad roads. Apart from this, the victim will also be given medical expenses up to Rs 10,000 as special commissioner has been given such powers.

In 2020, the Karnataka High Court had directed BBMP to give wide publicity in the media about the compensation payable to accident victims.

Either the immediate family of the victim or the person who suffered injuries can apply for compensation within 30 days from the day of the accident. The compensation will be paid only if the victim or his/her family proves the cause of accident is due to bad roads. The claimants are free to provide any sort of documents or proof, be it eye-witnesses, police complaint or even CCTV footage. However, it is a difficult task for a person who has suffered injuries as they have to run from pillar to post seeking compensation. 

Some incidents of deaths caused by potholes

♦ A 75-year-old disabled man, Kurshid Ahmed, a resident of Mico Layout, died on September 7th night when he bumped into a pothole, lost balance and fall off the three-wheeler scooter he was riding near Manganahalli in Bengaluru.

♦ In October 2021, Apoorva, a resident of Rajajinagar, was riding to work when she ran into a pothole while trying to overtake an auto-rickshaw at 12th Cross in Ramco BHEL Layout. She was confined to the bed after suffering injuries in the accident in RR Nagar, West Bengaluru.

♦ On 7 October, a 17-year old Nubia, resident of Goripalya off Mysuru Road, was riding triples on a scooter when the two-wheeler went out of control while negotiating a pothole. She fell from the scooter, and a truck coming from behind ran over her, killing her on the spot. Similarly, two days earlier, C Krishnappa, a 57-year-old sub-inspector with the excise department, died at the same spot when a truck ran over him.

♦ A 21-year-old Azeem Ahmed, a food delivery executive died in an accident near Bengaluru's Thanisandra, when he fell on the road after he hit a pothole and lost his balance. In this case, the city traffic police had arrested BBMP AEE Savitha and named her as the main accused in the case. She was later released on station bail.

♦ On 30 September, a shopkeeper Madesha, 50, was returning home in Anekal after visiting his daughter in Sarjapur on his motorcycle. While approaching Submangala, where he lived, he hit a heap of mud in the middle of the road. Madesha fell from his bike and sustained severe head injuries.

♦ In a video message addressed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in October 2021, a seven-year-old girl requested Chief Minister Basawaraj Bommai to ensure repairs to Bengaluru's pothole-filled streets. Dhavani N, a student of Class 2 in Tumakuru district, even offered CM Bommai all of her savings for this purpose.

Sink hole in front of Town Hall

Recently, an 8-foot deep sinkhole in the middle of JC Road, one of Bengaluru's busiest roads, and close to the BBMP headquarters, created traffic havoc on December 16.

The sinkhole appeared between two of the city's iconic buildings, Town Hall and Ravindra Kala Kshetra. There was a huge traffic jam in the morning hours.