Bengaluru man serves BBMP legal notice, seeks ₹50 lakh for pain caused by bad roads

A Bengaluru resident has served a legal notice to BBMP, demanding ₹50 lakh compensation for physical pain and emotional distress caused by the city’s poorly maintained roads, citing severe health issues and daily life disruptions.

Bengaluru: A 43-year-old Bengaluru resident has served a legal notice to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), demanding ₹50 lakh in compensation for "physical pain and emotional distress" allegedly caused by the city's deteriorating and unmotorable roads.

Divya Kiran, a resident of Richmond Town, stated in the notice that despite being a regular taxpayer, he has suffered "continuous physical discomfort and mental agony" due to the BBMP’s "clear failure in maintaining basic civic infrastructure." He pointed to deep potholes, broken and uneven pathways, and dangerously poor road surfaces as the key culprits.

“I have experienced severe neck and back pain, medically linked to the jolts and shocks endured while navigating these dangerous roads,” the notice reads. Kiran said he has consulted an orthopaedist five times and made four emergency visits to St. Philomena’s Hospital, where he received injections and treatment for persistent pain.

He also reported severe emotional distress, including pain, sleep loss, anxiety, and mental agony to the extent of "crying for days". These issues, he claims, have significantly impacted his personal and professional life.

Kiran added that the condition of the roads has rendered him unable to use two-wheelers or auto-rickshaws, and even cab rides have become intolerable. His mobility and independence, he said, have been drastically curtailed.

In his notice, Kiran demands ₹50 lakh from the BBMP within 15 days to cover "past and anticipated medical expenses, emotional and mental distress, physical suffering, travel expenses for consultations, and the overall trauma caused by poor road maintenance." He also seeks ₹10,000 to cover legal notice charges.

The notice warns that if BBMP fails to respond, Kiran will pursue "necessary legal action and criminal proceedings", which may include a civil suit for damages, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court, and appeals to the Lokayukta and State Human Rights Commission.