Bengaluru’s battered roads have now landed the city’s civic body in legal trouble. Dhivya Kiran, a 43-year-old resident of Richmond Town, has slapped the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with a legal notice demanding Rs 50 lakh in compensation for severe spinal and neck injuries allegedly caused by commuting on the city’s pothole-ridden and waterlogged roads.

In a legal notice dated May 14 and sent through Advocate K V Laveen, Kiran cited five orthopedic consultations and four emergency visits to hospitals, all of which, he claimed, were linked to the “jerks and trauma” he endured during his daily commute. “He has also experienced anxiety, sleeplessness, and emotional distress due to the chronic pain,” his lawyer told NDTV. Kiran has reportedly been on long-term medication and undergoing treatments to manage his condition.

The legal notice outlines not only the physical toll but also the emotional and professional disruption Kiran has faced. He is seeking Rs 50 lakh for the damage and an additional Rs 10,000 as reimbursement for legal notice charges. If BBMP fails to respond within 15 days, he has warned of initiating legal proceedings.

Kiran said his repeated complaints to authorities about the deteriorating road conditions were ignored. Recent unseasonal rains have only worsened the situation, with several areas becoming impassable due to waterlogging and collapsing road sections.

"Even the smallest pothole can cause unbearable pain. I’m a tax-paying citizen. Is it too much to ask for roads that don’t ruin our health?" Kiran said in a statement to NDTV.