Latest news with #LaluKamble
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘If it weren't for the pothole, my father would still be alive': Son of motorist killed in accident in Mumbai's Powai
After a 59-year-old motorist was killed in what was perhaps the season's first pothole-related fatality, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched an inspection of the site in Powai and is slated to submit a report to determine the next course of action. On Saturday, Lalu Kamble (59) fell after his scooter lost balance upon crashing into a pothole along JVLR road in Powai and was killed as he was run over by a dumper truck. Following the accident, Kamble — a civil contractor by profession—was taken to the Rajawadi Hospital by police officials, where he was declared dead. A resident of Andheri East's Sher-e-Punjab society, Kamble was on in way to meet a friend in the Hiranandani area in Powai when the mishap occurred around 2pm on Saturday. Kamble is survived by his wife, two sons and his daughter. The accident was reported in in S ward, from where incidentally, the maximum number of pothole complaints have been flagged by citizens. While 7,101 complaints have been registered by citizens through channels such as 'Pothole Quickfix' app and WhatsApp chatbot between June and July 30, 1,455 pothole woes — highest across all wards — have emerged in the S ward area, where Powai is situated. Following the accident, officials from the S ward said concerned officials from the roads department inspected the site and is currently preparing a report on the incident. 'The next course of action will be determined on the basis of the findings of the report,' said the civic body in a letter dated July 28. Meanwhile, the police has arrested the dumper driver in the case while the civic body also filled the pothole, in the aftermath of the mishap. Speaking to The Indian Express, Vijay Kamble, Lalu's younger son, called for action against the BMC contractor, whose negligence triggered the mishap. 'None of us in the family have been able to come to terms with the fact that my father is no more. He was a healthy and fit man. We just can't believe that he lost his life so suddenly because of something like a pothole. If there had been no pothole, my father would still be alive. This accident was the result of the neglect of the BMC appointed contractor and the people responsible should be held accountable,' said Vijay Kamble. Rajan Maknikar, a friend of Kamble, alleged, 'While Lalu Kamble managed to swerve and escape one pothole, his bike fell after hitting a second pothole. Due to the impact, his bike flung on one side and Lalu landed on another side, where a dumper ran through his right arm. For nearly 40 – 45 minutes, he lay on the road awaiting help and then lost another crucial hour while reaching the Rajawadi hospital.' This year, the BMC has deployed one road engineer in each of the 227 wards to proactively identify potholes and fix them within a timeframe of 24 – 48 hours. The objective, officials said, is to fix pits when they are smaller to avoid inconvenience to citizens.
News18
4 days ago
- News18
Mumbai's 1st Pothole Death This Monsoon: Man Falls Off Bike After Hitting Crater, Run Over By Dumper
Last Updated: The police said that while the 59-year-old slowed down to dodge potholes on Powai's Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, the dumper driver hit him from behind In what may be Mumbai's first pothole death of the season, Andheri resident Lalu Kamble, 59, was run over by a dumper after he fell off his scooter when it hit a water-filled pothole on Powai's Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road on Saturday. The Powai police arrested the dumper driver, Sajid Khan, 25. He is out on bail. The incident took place around 2.25pm on Saturday at NTPC junction, when the deceased, Lalu Kamble, was on his way towards Vikhroli. The police said that while Kamble had slowed down his bike to dodge the potholes, Shaikh did not gauge the state of the road and hit Kamble from behind, the TOI reported. Lalu's son, Vijay Kamble, 32, said the doctors said that his father had died due to severe headache injuries. Lalu's friend Rajan Mankikar, a social activist, said that there was a delay of nearly two hours in rushing the injured to the hospital. 'It took one hour for the ambulance to arrive and then the vehicle was stuck in traffic," Mankikar told HT, adding that he would approach the police to book even the civic officials responsible for the maintenance of the road. Vijay said that there is a nearly one-foot deep pothole along that road. He alleged that his father lost balance on that pothole and was then hit by the dumber. 'The state of the road there is pathetic. When we went with the police to the spot, a biker was about to fall due to the same pothole. This is complete negligence on the part of the government," Vijay told HT. What has BMC done to address pothole menace? News18 had reported how to address the pothole menace swiftly and efficiently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a mobile application called Pothole QuickFix, along with a dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (number: 8999228999). Both platforms aim to make pothole reporting faster, easier, and more transparent for citizens. The app was launched on June 9 by BMC commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani. It is now live on both Android and iOS platforms and offers a simple, user-friendly interface. Citizens can click a photo of a pothole, tag the location, add a short description, and submit the complaint—all in under five clicks. Once a complaint is filed, it goes directly to the concerned department, triggering the repair process immediately. The app also allows users to track the status of their complaint, check estimated repair times, and even give feedback once the work is completed. If users are unhappy with the response, they can reopen the complaint. The BMC has set a clear target: fix potholes within 48 hours of complaint registration. If a pothole isn't fixed on time, the issue is escalated to senior officials for urgent action. Citizens also receive SMS updates about the progress and final closure of their complaints. Has it helped? The FPJ reported how over 6,758 cases of potholes were reported from June to mid-July. Andheri West (K/West ward) topped the list with 488 complaints, closely followed by Bhandup (S ward) with 453. Even as the BMC achieved 49 per cent completion in its Rs 17,000-crore mega road concretisation drive, the total number of potholes and thereby their complaints have, in fact, witnessed an 8 per cent rise this year, in comparison to the same period last year, the Indian Express reported. With Agency Inputs view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
