Schoolkids wade through waterlogged underpass in Surathkal

Mangaluru: Several videos of schoolchildren wading through a knee-deep waterlogged underpass constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Surathkal, have gone viral on social media.
According to eyewitnesses, the underpass that is used by more than 500–600 children every day, gets waterlogged whenever it rains. It has been happening for the past two to three years. There has been no response to the several complaints made to the NHAI and public representatives.
Sundar Karitota, a social activist, who posted videos on social media about the issue, demanded that it must be addressed on priority. He said that that he tried to contact MLA Y Bharath Shetty and corporators. I was told that it is the responsibility of the NHAI. The school whose children use the underpass, maintained their helplessness on the issue. “I saw knee-deep water on Wednesday morning, and little children were wading through it. The underpass was heavily waterlogged, due to heavy rain on the previous night. One of the girl’s was literally pulling her sobbing younger sister across the waterlogged underpass,” he said.
The underpass on a busy national highway, helps hundreds of school and college students of educational institutions run by Hindu Vidyadayinee Sangha, to cross the road with ease. The campus has more than 3,000 students. However, due to continuous waterlogging, it is a nightmare to use it.
Shashi Kumar, principal, Vidyadayinee High School, said, “Our children planned to conduct a shramdan and clean the underpass last Saturday, but it was again heavily waterlogged due to rain that day, and the previous night. The water enters the underpass through stairs, and the drain in the passage is not enough to clear all the accumulated water. If it is not cleared soon, we will try cleaning it again this Saturday,” said Kumar, adding that they have raised this issue several times with the authorities.
NHAI project director Linge Gowda said that as soon as the issue was brought to his notice, officials visited the spot. “We will clear the water, and find a permanent solution to the issue soon.”