Chandrakantha Maroli, who runs a roadside snack shop near the incomplete flyover at Kaikamba on the Nuntur-Kulashekara road, says he has had no business at all in the past five years because of the dust whipped up by vehicles plying on the potholed road, which now exists only in patches.
The first thing that draws the attention of a customer at the shop, which has been there for 24 years, is the thick brown layer of dust coating the countertop and the microwave. “If we have this much dust in the rainy season, you can imagine the amount of dust in the summer,” he says. A member of his family says she has to take four tablets a day to counter dust allergy.
Shopkeepers' woes
Many shopkeepers in the area whose businesses have suffered have similar stories to tell. Harish Shetty, a tailor who also sells readymade garments, says he wants to shift but cannot afford it.Leo D'Souza, a lorry driver, says the Government will never do anything to repair these roads.
A group of 11 lorry drivers, including Mr. D'Souza, transports gravel to areas where the roads are particularly bad and fill the potholes to give temporary relief.
They have done this five times in the past year. “It is a loss for me, but it is essential. I cannot bear to see the roads like this and people suffering,” says Mr. D'Souza. Autorickshaw drivers are the worst hit. Anil Crasta says his autorickshaw gets damaged frequently as the bottom of the vehicle scrapes against the ground because of the potholes. He had to repair the bearings recently. Several autorickshaw drivers express similar views.
Besides these road-related problems, motorists also have to deal with traffic jams. The junction at Kaikamba is clogged throughout the day.
Sudhakar, a pedestrian passing by the construction site of the flyover at Kaikamba said, “There is no point in building this flyover. They should have just maintained the roads.”
