Members of the Karavali Bypass Nagarika Samiti staged a protest demanding construction of a flyover, instead of an underpass, at the Karavali Junction here on Wednesday.
Addressing the protesters, Bannanje Babu Amin, convener of the samiti, said the widening work of National Highway 66 is on at the junction. But about three weeks back, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) announced that it would be constructing an underpass at Karavali Junction for smooth movement of traffic.
But the underpass will create more problems than solving them. It will divide the entire junction region into two parts. Besides, it was unlikely to solve the problem of traffic congestion, he said.
Most of the vehicles from Mangaluru and Byndoor entered Udupi from this junction as it had connecting roads to the Malpe beach and fisheries harbour and to the educational and financial hub of Manipal. Hence, a lot of vehicles used this junction to go to Manipal. Malpe was a major fisheries centre with fisheries factories and ice plants. Many trucks going to Malpe required broad roads to turn at the Karavali Junction, which was difficult with an underpass, he said.
Mr. Amin said the samiti will meet elected representatives and NHAI officials and urge them to give up the proposal of constructing an underpass and instead construct a flyover.
Shantharaj Aithal, trustee of Udupi Consumers’ Forum, said that though the forum had tried to contact the officials of NHAI on this issue, the latter were not giving details. In a survey done in 1972, a flyover had been proposed in the same area.
It was essential that a flyover with proper design be constructed. “We should continue the struggle till the NHAI gives up the underpass proposal,” he said.
Kishan Hegde Kolkebail, president of Udupi District Cooperatives, said the NHAI was constructing a flyover in Kundapur, though it was not there in the original plan because of people’s opposition to the underpass there. It had also reduced the height of the underpass at Brahmavar because people opposed it. Hence, people should stand steadfast in their demand for a flyover here, he said.
Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt, Harish Ram, Meenaxi Bannanje, Ramesh Kanchan, municipal councillors, and Dinesh Puthran, samiti convener, were present.
