KOCHI: Fr Jomson Thottingal has become the latest victim of the pothole-filled roads in the city. The priest, who went on his motorcycle to St Jude Church in Kureekad to attend a speech, fell into one such pothole and ended up with an ankle fracture on October 27. His condition is such that it will take at least four weeks for him to recover.
The priest is now planning to go the legal way. “I was initially reluctant to take up the matter legally, primarily due to my injury. But it is not a personal matter anymore. These potholes can cause worse damage to someone else,” Fr Jomson told TNIE.
The accident happened near Gandhinagar Fire Station at the P V Antony Road, while Fr Jomson was on his way to Kureekad.
“My bike ended up falling on me, and I was unable to move from that position. A few passersby took me to the hospital, where the X-ray revealed a deep fracture in my right-leg ankle. I have been told to rest for at least a month,” he said.
The area residents point out that accidents are frequent around this spot. “An autorickshaw had fallen into the same crater a few days ago. The driver and a commuter had a narrow escape. We have raised the matter with the corporation officials several times, but they are not responding,” said Ajay Kumar KM, a resident.
The accident comes just over a month after 32-year-old Umesh Kumar was run over by a bus near Elamkulam Metro Station. On September 30, his scooter had fallen into a pothole at Sahodaran Ayyappan Road.
Gandhinagar councillor Poornima Narayanan came down heavily on the corporation for the dilapidated condition of the roads.
“I have been raising the issue in every corporation council meeting. We even organised a public protest on the matter. But the callous approach of the mayor and other officials has left us helpless. It seems as if they are awaiting another death to undertake a temporary repair,” she said.