Bengaluru: A deep, unmarked pothole on the Panathur-Gunjur Palya stretch near the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) road has left an IT professional with multiple fractures on his right shoulder, once again drawing attention to the hazardous condition of roads in east Bengaluru’s tech corridor.Sridhar M, who works with a multinational company on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), met with the accident Monday evening while returning home on his scooter. The incident occurred on a narrow road linking Panathur village to CDP Road — a route frequently used by commuters to avoid chronic traffic congestion.“I was riding at 30kmph and there was an oncoming vehicle. As the road is barely 15ft wide, I moved slightly to the left, something I do almost every day,” Sridhar said. “There was a half moon-shaped cut on the road, nearly 5-6 inches deep. Once my scooter entered it, I lost control within a few feet and fell.”While CDP road is under construction, the route is used by multiple residents to avoid the ORR and Old Airport Road traffic.The scooter veered off the tarred portion of the road into a muddy portion with no footpath or barrier. Sridhar fell on to the edge of the road, hitting his right shoulder against the sharp tar-and-stone surface. “I lost consciousness for a few minutes. People passing by stopped, gave me water, and helped move the scooter,” he said.An MRI done later revealed multiple fractures with a deep cut across the shoulder bone. “Surgery was advised, with an estimated cost between Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh,” he said. After consulting multiple hospitals, doctors advised him that the injury could potentially heal through conservative treatment, though surgery may still be required depending on recovery. Sridhar has been asked to take complete rest for at least one month, and it will be another 2-3 months before he can resume driving.The injury has disrupted his daily life. “Both my wife and I work. I used to drop my daughter at school and help manage the household responsibilities. Now everything is affected,” he said.Residents and commuters said Panathur, Gunjurpalya, and CDP Road stretches have long suffered from poor maintenance. While pothole-filling drives were announced repeatedly, gravel-filled craters remain common. “Filling potholes with loose gravel and leaving the road like that is even more dangerous. I survived with fractures. Next time, someone may not,” said Sridhar.
