Nation salutes Mumbai man who has fixed 556 potholes after his son died in one of them

Mumbai man Dadarao Bilhore has fixed 556 potholes after his son died in a pothole-related accident in the city three years ago.

Mumbai, July 30: To lose a young son in a freak accident is the most tragic incident that can hit a father. Three years ago, Mumbai man Dadarao Bilhore lost his 16-year-old son Prakash after his bike fell into a deep pothole in the city's Jogeshwari-Vikhroli link road.

The road where the tragedy took place was waterlogged due to heavy rains. In the past few weeks, as heavy rains hit the Maximum City once again, at least six people have died in Mumbai because of potholes.

There is a lot of anger among the residents as authorities are least bothered to fix the pothole-riddled roads of the city. But it seems the government is least bothered about the plight of the people.

Since the authorities have decided to look the other way round, Bilhore, a victim of potholes in the city, decided to fill-up the death traps so that in the future no one loses his/her loved one because of a pit.

His committed to fill-up the potholes is laudable and lesson to authorities how to correct the infrastructural wrongs.

On Sunday, Bilhore created a record of sort as he filled-up 556th pothole in Mumbai. He took up the task of fixing potholes after his son's death and it is his commitment and daily work that helped him to reach the 556 figure.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Bilhore said, "I don't want people to face the same fate as my son Prakash. I will keep working till India becomes pothole free. Our nation has a huge population. Even if one lakh people start filling potholes, India will become pothole free."

Despite losing his son, Bilhore does not share any anger against the authorities. He wants citizens to fix the potholes. Instead of blaming Mumbai's civic bodies like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Bilhore said, "If people start filling the potholes, they (authorities) will be inspired to take up the work and solve the problem."

India is proud to have people like Bilhore. We salute him for his courage and work.