After the tragic death of his 3-year-old son in a road accident, a telecom engineer from Faridabad, Manoj Kumar Wadhwa, was seen fixing potholes on the roads in his area on Jan 26.

Manoj took the matter in his hands after his son met with an accident due to pothole in 2014.

On Feb 10, 2014, Manoj, with his wife & son, Pavitra, was returning to his residence after attending a marriage function. On his way back, Manoj applied brakes of his vehicle when he came across a puddle on the Delhi-Agra highway but lost balance. His son fell on a sharp stone while another vehicle ran over his wife's legs. After this, the family was taken to a hospital where his son, Pavitra, was declared brought dead & his wife had to undergo 23 surgeries.

After the tragic loss of his son, Manoj realised that the roads in his locality were full of potholes. He started watching videos & tutorials uploaded by Pothole Raja from Bengaluru, to learn how to fill potholes.

After finalising a location, Manoj decided to fix the road using 3 bags of mixed bitumen & other items that were needed. His friends also joined him in cleaning the site & pouring cold-mix into the potholes.

Speaking to News Agency, Manoj said, "We chose to fill potholes on Republic Day with a hope that this will give a wake-up call to govt agencies. If a few of us can fill potholes, why can't govt agencies & contractors do this small thing despite having all resources at their disposal? "

Manoj is currently fighting a case against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) & a private company, Larsen & Turbo, to find out the party responsible for fixing the potholes that led to his son's tragic death.

"Till now I am fighting for justice. It has been 6 years & my case is still pending. I decided to take the matter in my own hands. What about those who rely completely on the police or the authorities?" Manoj said.

"The practice of paying ₹ 4-5 lakh compensation for each death should stop. Will that amount compensate for the life of that individual?" Manoj asked.

Why Is The Case Still Pending?
5 years after the 3-year-old Pavitra lost his life in a pothole-related accident on Delhi-Agra Highway, Faridabad Police charged the executives of Larsen & Turbo & Delhi-Agra Toll Road Private Ltd with negligence on their part.

After the accident, Manoj went to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Haryana Govt & Faridabad Police but received no help. He then filed a case in Punjab & Haryana HC in Sept 2016. The hearings have been going on since then.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Faridabad police was handling the case since August & held the directors & project managers of the two companies responsible for the accident. The report was submitted in a local court through an affidavit, charging the accused under Section 173 of CrPC for causing grievous injuries, endangering life or personal safety & causing death due to negligence.

Manoj has been fighting the battle since 2014 & will continue to fight until all the agencies are held accountable for their negligence. He wrote letters to PM Narendra Modi & Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Manoj's Appeal To Authorities

"The fight isn't just for my son. Why can't agencies take steps to avoid such tragedies? Why can't we have a protocol to identify & fill our potholes?" Manoj askd.

Pointing at Nitin Gadkari's comment on hefty fines for violating traffic rules, Manoj said, "People in India aren't scared of fines. The idea to penalise Indians with steep fines is good to ensure their compliance with the rules."

Manoj Kumar Wadhwa urges that every individual should have the authority to report a pothole with adequate technology. Every citizen should be able to attach pictures, videos & demand action accordingly from those who are responsible for that particular area. A deadline should be given to the authorities to ensure timely action.

"If the potholes aren't fixed in such a case, the responsible authority should be penalised & in case of a repeated offender, the individual should be put behind bars," Manoj said.

"When I fixed the pothole on Jan 26, I didn't do it to get justice. I did it to send a message to authorities if they are unable to fix it with all the machinery, manpower & money, the common man will," Manoj said.

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