Pothole trouble: Autorickshaw driver, passengers escape death by inches
An autorickshaw driver and three passengers escaped death by inches in the city on Friday due to a pothole. This comes just a few days after a police constable had died due to a pothole in Mumbai. While the autorickshaw driver suffered minor injuries, the passengers were lucky enough to be escape unhurt.
The rickshaw’s front axle and tyre flew off after getting stuck in the pothole.
Though the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has claimed that potholes have been filled, the reality is that they still exist in the interior roads.
“I was carrying three passengers from Wagle Estate Road no. 16 on Friday, around 9.45 pm. I was crossing the Naupada junction from Malhar cinema when I noticed a pothole filled with water just below the under-construction bridge. The road had a lot of traffic and there was no way I could dodge the pothole. Had I tried a vehicle from behind would have dashed us.” said Ravi Kharvar, the autorickshaw driver.
“However the moment my auto crossed the pothole, the front axle of the auto came off while the front tyre too was damaged. I got hurt in my mouth and waist. Luckily all three passengers were safe, they helped me push the auto to the side of the road. I left the auto parked at the side and took another auto home,” he added.
Anil Patil, city engineer of TMC said, “We have filled all the potholes in Naupada area just before Ganesh immersions. We will have to study the reason for the pothole to develop at this spot. I have asked the engineer in this ward to survey the area and fill the pothole immediately.”
There are about 320 potholes in the city. Though the TMC assured residents that the 1,785 potholes that had surfaced owing to the rains would be filled, only 1,465 were attended to. Around 1,785 potholes had surfaced over a 3,158-sq-m plot during the deluge. TMC had filled 1,465 potholes over a 2,613 sq-m plot till now, while 320 potholes were remaining as off September 4. The corporation does not have any survey of potholes after this date.