HUBBALLI: Scene 1: Cut to climax of Sholay. Amitabh Bachchan is wounded and dying on the shoulder of Dharmendra. The latter asks this happened. Bachchan replies, “I was riding from Cotton Market to Chennamma Circle.
Scene 2: The hero of Titanic, Leonardo Di Caprio is drowning in a water-logged pothole in Hubballi, and Kate Winslet is holding onto him.
These are memes depicting the current condition of roads in Hubballi and Dharwad. They have been shared on social media by individuals and civic groups. Needless to say, the memes might have reached the officials too, but the latter seem unmoved.
While everyone in Hubballi is harping over potholes and craters, Dharwad residents once again got a taste of poor construction of BRTS corridors after the stretch at Toll Naka was flooded in the recent rains.
A week ago, some of the large craters were temporarily filled with bricks and mud. However, they were soon washed by rains.
Once again, motorists are forced to ride/drive through waterlogged potholes on roads during rain.
“Potholes in Hubballi are now inspiring people to create memes. Authorities did not take measures when potholes first appeared on roads.
"They were waiting for the rain to stop so that work could begin. However, this season, the rain seems to be continuing even in October. Why not build all-weather roads in the first place?” questioned a resident from Cotton Market.
This not the first time residents of Hubballi and Dharwad are taking to social media to express their anger against authorities.
“Be it auto metres, filling of potholes, unfinished civic work or delay in road widening, citizens have come down on strongly on authorities. Social media is a powerful tool, where people can express their views and make suggestions. But sadly, successive local governments have ignored people’s pleas in terms of development,” said M C Sindhur, a civic expert from Hubballi.