Pachchanady residents protest against bad roads, erratic water supply

Residents of Pachchanady protesting against bad roads in Mangalore on Friday. Photo: R. Eswarraj

Sharanappa Hadapad, a labourer living in Ashraya Colony, has to go down 300 metres by a slippery mud road from his house once every two days to get drinking water. Mr. Hadapad and six of his neighbours, who stay on an elevated portion of the colony have to spend Rs. 500 every week to get water in a tanker.

“Often I have fallen down from the two-wheeler while bringing water in plastic pots on this slippery road stretch. None have bothered to make this mud road motorable. We are paying through our nose for water,” said Mr. Hadapad, who has been living in the area for over a decade.

Mr. Hadapad was among those concerned over the poor condition of roads and the water supply which they were getting once in two days for one hour.

“For the last two years, water has not been coming to most of the Ashraya houses. We have no other go than collect water from the taps placed along the main water supply line on the main (Pachachanady – Bondel) road,” said another resident Bhaskar, a tailor.

Charan, a resident of Guttige Road, said the 500 metre-stretch of the road from Pachchanady dump yard had been asphalted and the work on the road passing through Devi Nagar had not been taken up.

Sandhya Nayak, a resident of Karmika Nagar, said she and other residents had been facing problems since the Mangalore City Corporation laid concrete on about 150 metres of the interior road leading to Gundi House. “Earlier, the asphalted road was pretty broad. Now, it has become narrow. If a lorry comes we have to be off the road that does not have side drain.”

Ms. Nayak said the level of the manholes had been lower than the concrete road and thus creating potholes.

“We had to fill mud at some of the critical area on the road as motorists were falling down. It has been difficult for children to walk along this road,” she said.The residents took out a procession protesting against the lackadaisical approach of Mangalore City Corporation on Friday. The residents alleged that the area councillor had not bothered to hear their problems and address it. Residents blocked movement of vehicles on the Pachchanady – Bondel Road for few minutes. They threatened to intensify their agitation if authorities failed to address their problems.