1 week ago
Mumbai Father Fills 1,450 Potholes After Son's Fatal Crash
Dadarao Bilhore lost his 16-year-old son Prakash in a motorcycle crash.
The crash happened when the motorcycle entered a pothole hidden by rainwater in Mumbai.
Prakash was not wearing a helmet and died from a brain haemorrhage.
His brother Ram survived because he was wearing a helmet.
A month later, Dadarao began repairing potholes himself.
He has filled more than 1,450 potholes since 2015.
He hopes this work will stop other people from being hurt or killed.
His actions also inspired a citizen project and an app for reporting potholes.
He continues the work each year in memory of his son.
Dadarao Bilhore’s 16-year-old son Prakash died after a motorcycle hit a hidden pothole on Mumbai’s Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road in 2015.
Prakash was riding pillion without a helmet, while his brother Ram survived the crash wearing one.
A month after the accident, Bilhore began filling potholes himself with paver blocks, gravel, stones and a shovel.
He says he has filled more than 1,450 potholes and wants to prevent other families from suffering similar losses.
His efforts helped inspire the Fill in the Potholes Project and the Spothole app, while a case against civic officials and a contractor remains pending.
- Who
- Dadarao Bilhore, whose son Prakash died in the crash; his other son Ram survived.
- What
- Bilhore began manually filling potholes after Prakash was killed and has repaired more than 1,450 of them.
- Where
- The crash occurred on Mumbai’s Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road near SEEPZ.
- When
- The fatal crash occurred in 2015; Bilhore began filling potholes about a month later and continues the work annually.
- Why
- Bilhore wants to prevent other families from losing loved ones to dangerous, unmarked potholes.
Key facts
- Victim
- Prakash Bilhore, aged 16
- Crash cause
- A pothole hidden under monsoon floodwater
- Survivor
- Prakash’s brother Ram survived and was wearing a helmet
- Potholes filled
- More than 1,450 since 2015
- Citizen initiative
- The Fill in the Potholes Project
- Reporting tool
- The Spothole app uses phone cameras and GPS to report potholes
- Legal case
- A case against responsible civic officials and a contractor remains before Borivali District Court
Quotes
Dadarao Bilhore
Mumbai resident who began repairing potholes after his son’s fatal crash
“Whenever I fill one pothole, I feel I have saved someone. My son didn't return, but somebody else's son will go home safe. So what if my clothes get stained, or my arms get muddy? It doesn't matter.”
thebetterindia.com
“I observed how authorities waited until someone died to fill potholes and file FIRs.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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