---
title: "The Road Doctor of Hyderabad: 15 Years Fixing Potholes"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/hyderabad-road-doctor-15-years-potholes-ekeda
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Society
published: 2026-08-24T05:02:22.524Z
modified: 2026-08-24T07:09:30.523Z
language: en-IN
---

# The Road Doctor of Hyderabad: 15 Years Fixing Potholes

A retired railway engineer in Hyderabad spent 15 years repairing potholes, repairing 2,000+ by using his pension and donated materials. He founded Shramadaan to mobilize volunteers, and the city municipality now provides repair material.

## Key takeaways

- A Hyderabad retiree fixed potholes for 15 years, repairing over 2,000 sites.
- The effort began after a deadly pothole incident and expanded into a volunteer movement.
- Municipal authorities began providing materials to support road repairs.

## What Happened

A retired railway engineer in Hyderabad, known as the city’s “Road Doctor,” began repairing potholes after witnessing a deadly incident on the roads. Over 15 years, he and a growing volunteer base repaired more than 2,000 potholes across the city. He funded these efforts using his ₹23,000 pension, discarded road-building material, and his personal savings. He also founded Shramadaan, a volunteer initiative designed to mobilize others to fix roads at no cost to residents. Over time, the municipal authorities started supplying road-repair material to support the ongoing work.

## Why It Matters

The effort transformed a local, individual act of road repair into a broader community movement. By organizing volunteers and drawing support from municipal resources, the initiative enhances road safety and demonstrates a model of civic participation where residents contribute directly to infrastructure repairs. The shift from personal funding to municipal backing signals a potential template for community-driven public-works efforts.

## Background

The action traces to a fatal pothole accident that prompted the retiree to stop watching unsafe roads. He then redirected his energy toward practical repairs and the creation of a volunteer network, aiming to improve road conditions across Hyderabad rather than focusing solely on ad hoc fixes.

## Key Facts

- Person: Gangadhar Tilak Katnam, a retired railway engineer nicknamed the Road Doctor

- Location: Hyderabad, India

- Timeframe: 15 years of ongoing pothole repair work

- Scale: repair of 2,000+ potholes across the city

- Funding: used ₹23,000 pension, discarded road material, and personal savings

- Initiative: founded Shramadaan to organize volunteers for free road repair

- Support: municipality began providing road-repair material to assist the effort

- Motivation: inspired by witnessing a deadly pothole incident on local roads

## What Happens Next

Significant aspects of the story point to continued volunteer activity under Shramadaan, with municipal material support in place to sustain repairs. The ongoing collaboration between residents and city authorities could influence future approaches to community-led infrastructure maintenance in Hyderabad.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/hyderabad-road-doctor-15-years-potholes-ekeda
Reported from: Multiple Sources