TOI Hubballi photographer succumbs to crash injuries

Hubballi: Vaman Ramachandrasa Bhandage, 54, a photographer with The Times of India, Hubballi bureau, died on Friday.He sustained severe injuries in a road crash on Koppikar Road on Feb 10 while returning home after covering the HDMC general body meeting. He was in the hospital for over 1 month.Bhandage was a photojournalist for about four decades. His passion was environmental photography, urban life, civic sense and other issues. He covered many events, including the president of India, prime ministers and other dignitaries' visits to Hubballi and the North Karnataka region. He played a crucial role in capturing agitations related to Idgah Maidan, SWR headquarters for Hubballi, Mahadayi, and Kalasa-Banduri. Being a soft-spoken and dedicated photographer, Vaman was lauded by many celebrities from politics, cinema, cricket, entrepreneurship, etc.He was associated with The Times of India since 2004.He is survived by his wife, a son, two daughters, and many relatives and friends.