VIJAYAWADA: On November 1, 27-year-old Garikapati Satish was riding his two-wheeler on the pothole-ridden Jagannadhapuram-Kanchikacherla road when he fell and injured himself. He had to get 15 stitches and stay away from work to recover. Moved by his plight, Satish’s friends decided to do something about the almost-unmotorable stretch of the road that also lacked proper lighting.
On Sunday, eight of his friends, all below the age of 30 years and residents of Ambedkar Colony in Kanchikacherla town, started repairing the road with cement. “This stretch is prone to accidents due to its poor condition. At night, people are at risk of falling off their bikes as there are no street lights,” Ashok, who helped repair the road, told The New Indian Express.
Recalling his experience, Satish said, “The 40-ft road doesn’t have proper lighting. When I was returning from Jujjur around 8 pm after finishing my work, I lost balance and fell after hitting a pothole due to poor visibility.” Satish added that he lost his livelihood as he had to stay away from work to undergo treatment for his head injury.
Satish’s friends said that after visiting him they decided to do something to help others avoid the pain he went through. “As soon as I got discharged from hospital, my friends proposed to repair the road without waiting for the official machinery to react. We pooled some money and hired an earthmover to carry concrete and cement,” Satish explained.
He and his friends then filled the potholes on Sunday afternoon. “First, we filled the pothole that caused me to fall, and then covered the entire stretch, which had more than 30 potholes. It would be good if the officials do such repair work regularly as it would avoid mishaps,” the team said.
Nandigama Rural Circle inspector (CI) Satish, who was passing by, appreciated the youngsters and joined them. “The team needs to be appreciated as they took the initiative to help others. This incident will help youngsters learn their responsibilities,” the police officer said.