Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje on Monday said that she has asked officials concerned to immediately remove two obstructions to enable free flow of rainwater from the service road of National Highway 66 in Kundapur town thereby causing artificial floods.
In a related development, Kundapur MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty visited the area where artificial floods were reported, near Basrur Moorkai in the town, and led a team in the removal of obstructions during the day.
Ms. Karandlaje told reporters that local people had prevented free flow of rainwater near Vinayaka Theatre while a concrete road built by the local authority near Moorkai was obstructing water flow. These two obstructions close to each other would be removed, she said.
The MP said that NH 66 four-lane project concessionnaire Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. was given April deadline to complete balance works, including a bridge at Padubidri and the Shastri Circle flyover in Kundapur. However, the concessionnaire could not complete the work as labour left here for their home States due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Now, the concessionnaire has promised to complete the pending works by December this year, she said.
Meanwhile, the MP has asked the National Highways Authority of India to build underpasses near Brahmavar bus stand and Katpady Junction. The authority has promised to work on those proposals and start work.
To a question on the need for a similar underpass at Ambalpady Junction in Udupi, Ms. Karandlaje asked the district administration to submit a proposal.
COVID-19 situation
Ms. Karandlaje said that of the 6,201 positive cases reported from Udupi district, 3,444 have been discharged. Almost all the 60 deaths where patients were found to be positive for COVID-19 were due to co-morbidities, she said.
It is highly essential that people with co-morbidities should immediately rush to hospitals when they get symptoms. The deaths were mainly due to them going late to hospitals, she said. Sufficient infrastructure and personnel were available to treat the disease in the district, the MP added.
Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha and others were present.