Trenches on concrete roads in Mangaluru a nightmare for daily commuters

MANGALURU: Residents of the city had expected the concrete roads criss-crossing the central business district areas to be a driver's delight. On the contrary, they are turning out to be a nightmare for commuters and pedestrians alike.
The unscientific implementation of the concrete road projects only to dig them part by part in the garb of undertaking various civil works have left drivers traversing through the city in the lurch.

On one hand, while massive potholes on National Highway 66 and interior roads made of tar have already claimed several lives and they remain unattended till date, on the other, the concrete roads are no better. While Mangaluru is gearing up towards turning into a Smart City, the not so smart work of the civic authorities has been pushing the city into yesteryears.

Threat looms large over commuters at several stretches, including Kodialguthu and the busy Bejai, Karangalpady areas as huge pits have been dug up on the middle of the concretised roads. Further at the stretch from Kankanady to Valencia, either sides of the road have a few gorges that may turn into grave for motorists who like speed.

"The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has been increasingly digging up concrete roads since the last few weeks. While I feel sad for taxpayers, including myself, what makes me feel worse is that the officials do not give you valid reasons for undertaking such 'repair' works. When I asked workers the reason, they say they are clueless and are acting at the orders of the engineers. I have seen at least five such trenches yesterday (Friday)," Praveenchandra Shetty, former chairman of road safety subcommittee, KCCI, Mangaluru, told TOI.

ACP (Traffic) Manjunath Shetty said the MCC has assured to fix the opened channels at the earliest. However, he said, no time frame had been given.

MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said the roads were dug up as there was leakage of water in the water supply pipeline beneath the surface of the road. In some places, he said, underground drainage lines were old and they had to be maintained.

In a laudable initiative, G Parameshwara, Bengaluru development minister, has launched an initiative asking citizens of the state capital to report potholes and trenches on road assuring swift action. When asked, Dakshina Kannada district minister U T Khader termed it as a 'great suggestion' and that he, too, would like to launch a similar initiative in the city. "I will discuss the matter with the mayor and the MCC commissioner. We should be implementing this in Mangaluru too," he said.