BANGALORE: Potholes and unscientific humps in the city are not an unusual sight. There have been long discussions by the authorities on the ‘timely repair’of potholes. During this process many deadlines have been set as well as extended. But the section of the society that undergoes the highest trauma due to the presence of these unscientific humps and potholes are the pregnant women. When City Express contacted Dr Kamini Rao, a gynaecologist at Bangalore Assisted Conception Centre said,” Travelling on roads laden with potholes and unscientific humps can have an adverse impact on the uterus. This can also lead to horrifying situations including abortion and premature labour.” Voicing similar opinion, Dr Gaurav Sharma, an orthopaedic at St John Hospital said, “ Backache is the most common problem that a pregnant lady might come across during regular commute owing to deep potholes or unscientific humps. The sudden jerk may shift the position of the foetus and in many cases the foetus can also be injured. It poses a serious threat to pregnant woman, as they are already carrying sufficient amount of weight. Any extra pressure put on them, could prove fatal.”Traffic expert M N Sreehari pointed out, “The potholes in the city are notorious, and bad roads have aggravated the problems. Today, Bangalore has about 40,000 to 50,000 potholes which have been left unattended. To top it all, the unscientific humps cause accidents. However, pregnant women are more vulnerable.” He added, “While negotiating a pothole or a hump it is difficult to avoid its impact. The authorities in many cases try to cover it with a drum which does not always work. Instead, they should visit all the places in Bangalore and rectify them. There are about 10,000 to 15,000 unscientific humps in the city. They should be at least 12-15 centimetres in height and not more than that. They should also be neatly painted.”
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