In July 2015, sixteen-year-old Prakash Bilhore died in a road accident in Mumbai, caused by a pothole, a civic problem that is dangerously common across the country. After his death, his father Dadarao Bilhore decided to do something about the roads in the city. He began filling in potholes. Single-handedly.

Now, three years later, the 48-year-old vegetable vendor has filled in almost 600 potholes in an attempt to prevent more people from losing their lives the same way. His son was riding pillion on a motorcycle which hit a deep pothole, sending him flying off the vehicle. Prakash, who did not have a helmet on, suffered fatal brain damage

In a video posted by AFP, Bilhore explained why he goes about filling in potholes, using sand and gravel collected from building sites. “Prakash’s sudden death left a huge void in our lives,” . I do this work to remember and honour him. I also don’t want anyone else to lose a loved one like we have,” he said.