Bengaluru Woman's Scooter Hits Pothole, Crushed Ankle Leads to Rs 1.97 Lakh Surgery Bill

A routine commute turned into a medical and financial ordeal for a Bengaluru woman last month when her two-wheeler hit a pothole on Varthur Road, resulting in a crushed ankle, emergency surgery, and a hospital bill of Rs 1.97 lakh.

Aishani Khanna, a private-sector employee, was riding to her office near Nexus Mall on the Whitefield-Varthur Road on August 20. She told NDTV that she was familiar with the road's poor condition and was riding cautiously when heavy rain obscured a deep pothole from her view.

"It was about noon and raining pretty hard. I was on my two-wheeler and didn't see a pothole. I was up in the air for two or three seconds. I fell, and the scooter fell on me," she recounted. The impact left her with seven or eight deep cuts and abrasions on her left ankle, injuries that required the attention of a plastic surgeon.

Khanna spent five days in the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. The medical expenses have mounted to Rs 1.97 lakh, and she may require a second surgery depending on her recovery. Beyond the physical pain, she described the incident as a source of significant mental trauma and financial strain.

"It's not just the physical trauma that I went through. It was a lot of mental trauma and financial burden because it was very uncalled for," she said.

In a post on X, Khanna appealed to authorities to fix the roads, warning that such an accident could happen to anyone. She expressed deep disappointment over the state of civic infrastructure, noting that after 30 years of living in Bengaluru, she has seen the roads deteriorate further.

"There is absolutely no road, just potholes," she said, urging the government to ensure safer roads.

The incident highlights the ongoing concerns over pothole-ridden roads in Bengaluru, a recurring issue that has drawn criticism from residents and prompted assurances from state leadership, including Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, that repairs are underway.