Ravi Teja, a 12-year old boy from Habsiguda in Telangana, is doing a task that the authorities and the government have failed to do.
Aware of the dangers a potholed road holds, the young boy has taken up the task of filling up potholes and repairing the road rather than depending on civic authorities.
He recently saw a family of three on a motorcycle fall on one such road while avoiding a pothole and succumbing to head injuries. That is when he decided to do this work.
Early on May 1, Telangana chief minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, had directed the officials of the department of roads and buildings to fill up all the potholes in the state by the end of the month. He also said the necessary funds would be released from the budget. He had even warned that if any potholes were found on any of the roads, stringent action would be taken against officials.
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Instead of them getting repaired, things have taken an uglier turn, with heavy rains lashing all parts of the state. It has been a month since then.
“After watching the accident on the Habsiguda road, I thought I should do something from my side to see that such accidents do not recur,” Teja said. “I have been doing it for the last one week, whenever I get the time.”
Son of construction worker, D Suryanarayana and homemaker, Nagamani, Teja collected broken bricks, gravel and stones from nearby areas and started filling the potholes with them. He worked patiently, beating all dust and pollution on the road.
His actions have caught the attention of the officials, who have appreciated his work.
When asked who gave him the idea of filling the potholes, Teja said, “Nobody told me to do so. I did it on my own. And, I will continue to do it”.
He also said that he will request his friends to help him fill the potholes.
