Karnataka - Mangalore   

Visitors appalled by state of roads

— PHOTO: RAVIPRASAD KAMILA

UNMOTORABLE: The stretch between B.C. Road and Mani on NH 48 is a bone-breaker.

MANGALORE: After travelling from Mangalore to Neriya a week ago to visit a rubber plantation, Rubber Board chairman Sajen Peter remarked: “You first tell your MP and MLA to repair roads. They are horrible.”

The grower who took him to his plantation had nothing to say except “sorry sir”.

Mr. Peter, who went to Ujire on October 23 to attend the rubber growers’ conference there, travelled on the national highway and the State highway through B.C. Road, Guruvayanakere, and Belthangady.

The poor condition of National Highway 17 in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts has drawn the attention of Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia too. At the end of his convocation address at Manipal University on Monday, he felt compelled to make a mention of the poor condition of NH 17. He said that after returning to Delhi, he would look into why work on NH 17 has been delayed.

K.S. Bhat of Manipal said, “Poor condition of roads, particularly highways in the two districts, was referred to at the inauguration of the two-day ‘Krishi mela’ at Brahmavar on October 11. K.C. Shankare Gowda, member, Board of Regents, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, in his address took objection to poor quality of highways in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. He wanted to know why people of the region were not protesting.” “When I came to Brahmavar for the last ‘Krishi mela’ the highways were bad. Then I was told that it was because of rains.

This year, their condition has worsened. I do not understand why people are keeping quiet,” Mr. Gowda said in his address.

According to G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, Mangalore, who recently visited Baindoor, “There is no road between Baindoor and Surathkal on NH 17. You can see only mud and dust.”

Said a marketing executive, “Stretches of highway beyond Baindoor up to Karwar are also in poor shape. Don’t ask me which tarred road is bad. Tell me which tarred road is good in Dakshina Kannada district. The condition of NH 17 between Talapady and Mahaveera Cirlce is bad in at least seven places, including K.C. Junction,” he said.

The poor condition of NH 17 in the two districts, NH 48 between Mangalore and Sakaleshpur, the State highway between B.C. Road and Charmadi; Thokkottu Junction-Melkar Road connecting NH 17 and NH 48; Guruvayanakere-Uppinangady Road; and Vittla-Puttur Road probably reflect on how the authorities are least concerned about the basic needs of the people, he said. “Ask officials the reason for roads going bad every year. They have a readymade answer, and that is rain,” Mr. Kamath said.

“It is a mere excuse for the poor quality of work,” he added. Mr. Kamath recently filed a case against the Mangalore City Corporation in a lower court regarding poor quality of a concrete road here.

“Observe some stretches between B.C. Road and Gundia on NH 48, which deteriorate every year. Officials fill potholes on the same spots every year. If the work had been carried out as per the specifications, why should these stretches get damaged every year,” he wanted to know.

“It is a question of maintaining quality in work, not rain,” he added.

V. Ponnuraj, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada, told The Hindu that filling up of potholes on the major district roads would begin after a fortnight. The State Government had released Rs. 1.1 crore to restore NH 17 between Hejamady and Bappanadu; between Bappanadu and Karnad; and between Karnad and Kolnad. These works would commence immediately, he said.

In addition, the Union Government had sanctioned Rs. 2.25 crore to the State National Highways Division to repair some stretches on NH 48. Mr. Ponnuraj said that the national, State and major district roads in the district would be in motorable condition by December-end.

He said that as the Deputy Commissioner, he could only inspect roadworks carried out with State Government funds and not Union Government funds.

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