Issues related to choked roads were raised at a meeting of the Mangaluru City Corporation council on Tuesday with Mayor Harinath announcing that he would convene a meeting to address them within a fortnight.
Member from court ward A.C. Vinayraj, who raised the subject, said that it was a serious issue and the corporation should take a lead in addressing it with all stakeholders before it went out of control.
Sudhir Shetty Kannur from Kannur ward said that potholes and craters on the road between Pumpwell and Karavali Circle were a nightmare to drivers.
There were traffic jams on the road stretch between Karavali Circle and Bendoorwell Junction traffic jam due to slow movement of vehicles.
He pointed out that the work on upgrading the road stretch between Horticulture Junction and Balmatta Circle had come to a standstill. The corporation had stopped the work after concreting one side of the road. This was leading to traffic jam too. Another member pointed out that there were potholes on interior roads in the city.
Mayor Harinath said that commissioner Mohammed Nazir on Monday had instructed the three Executive Engineers in the civic body to take up repair works at the earliest.
Dayananda Shetty, member, pointed out that the service road abutting NH 66 from Kulur Junction towards Kottara Chowki was in bad a condition and was not motorable. Expressing helplessness, the Mayor said that it was the responsibility of the National Highways Authority of India to repair it. Mr. Vinayraj pointed out that the corporation had not invited bids to maintain 174 borewells in its jurisdiction since 2011. A corporation official had given him it in writing. K.S. Linge Gowda, Executive Engineer, said that bids would be called soon.
Mr. Shetty alleged that the ‘raja kaluve’ at Bangra Kulur was being encroached upon. The corporation should act now before giving scope for Bengaluru-like situation, he added.
Premananda Shetty, member from Mangaladevi ward, pointed out that the corporation was not taking interest to address issues related to single site approval. Though Urban Development Minister R. Roshan Baig at a meeting in the corporation recently invited the corporation authorities to his office in Bengaluru to sort out the issues, the civic body had not acted upon it, he added.
