A young girl crushed to death after a scooter hit a pothole on a city road changed the life of Gulshan Bhatia forever.The tragedy, which took place around 11 years ago near Khalsa College in Amritsar, left such a deep impact on him that he decided to dedicate his life to making roads safer for others.Since then, Gulshan has quietly worked like a one-man army across Amritsar, filling potholes, repairing damaged stretches of roads and installing reflective tapes at accident-prone spots, often at his own expense.The accident occurred when a woman riding a scooter with her daughter lost balance after the vehicle struck a pothole in the middle of the road. Both fell onto the street. Moments later, a tractor-trolley coming from behind ran over the girl, killing her on the spot. The horrifying incident stayed with Gulshan.While many mourned the incident and moved on, Gulshan decided he could not remain a silent spectator. He picked up tools himself and began filling potholes wherever he could across the city. What started as a spontaneous act of grief slowly turned into a mission of public service.Today, residents in several parts of Amritsar know him as the man repairing dangerous stretches of roads without any official help. Apart from filling potholes, he also installs reflective tapes to warn commuters, especially during the night and dense winter fog. “I believe that even if one life is saved, the effort is worthwhile,” he said.Gulshan, who runs a modest shoe shop in the Putlighar area, finances the work entirely from his own pocket. Every day, he sets aside a portion of his earnings as “daswand”, a Sikh tradition of donating part of one’s income for social good — and uses it to buy construction material, reflective tape and other essentials needed for the work.Scorching summers, heavy rains or bone-chilling winters have never stopped him. For more than a decade, he has continued the service with remarkable consistency and little expectation of recognition.“Sometimes my family members worry when they get calls from people asking what I am doing, but I tell them it gives me peace of mind and that is what matters,” he said.His selfless efforts were eventually recognised by the Punjab Government. In 2025, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann honoured him with a state award during the Punjab-level Independence Day celebrations in Faridkot. He has also been felicitated at least twice during district-level Independence Day functions.For Gulshan, the biggest reward remains the hope that another family may never have to endure the tragedy that first set him on this path.