Dear Corporators, Have You Seen The Roads in your Area? If NOT….!
Attention MCC Corporators! Have You Seen The Roads in your Area? If NOT, read this ARTICLE!
Mangaluru: Before they are elected into power to be your area ward corporator, they all come begging you for votes, and assure you the best service to solve any civic issues in your area- but once they get elected and become your corporator, then you as a citizens have to go beyond them begging to rectify the civic problems- which will be done if you are lucky enough-if not it will kept pending for months- and one among the civic issues are the dilapidated/pathetic condition of the roads, in many parts of the so called “Smart City?”. These dilapidated Roads take the sheen off ‘Smart City’!
If we are boasting about the status of Mangaluru being a “Smart City”, but looking at these horrible roads, it doesn’t look that “Smart” at all? And the worse part is that, it happens again and again and again- year and year and year after- and at the same locations of same streets/roads. I am talking about dilapidated roads filled with potholes. Heavy rains, heavy traffic and alternating periods of warm and cold have scarred local streets and the potholes pop up — and this has formed a worse-case scenario for repair crews who are struggling to find and fix all the emerging potholes. But are they doing the job right. I don’t think so. Throwing some loose stuff in a hole and just hoping the traffic driving over it will fix it, will not serve the purpose.
The evidence now says otherwise. I think the only way to solve the current pothole mess is to lay a two-layered concrete road with a seal coat but the problem is, our authorities I bet are busy playing blame games. There are quite a few bad roads with potholes, but I took a ride from my house located at Kadri, going towards Mallikatta, Kadri Junction, Nanthoor, Padua/KPT, Bikkaranakatta, Kulshekar, Shakthinagar, Neermarga, Vamanjoor, Padil, Capitanio/Angelore, Karavali Circle, Kankanady-Fr Muller’s Road, Kankanady-Valencia Road, Falnir, Bunder, Car Street, Alake Road, Urwa, Bondel, Kulur, Panambur, Bendore-well, Bejai Road and few other places- and clicked the pathetic condition of the roads- and you can view then in this report, and also in the attached photo album.
These are just a few above roads that I took a ride on my scooter, and it was a nightmare! But I bet there will be much more worse roads than these, in the areas which I didn’t travel .While Kudla has been selected as one of “India’s Smart City’, but looking at the dilapidated roads, are we really heading towards a ‘Smart City’? Just look at the pathetic condition of these city roads. How many times have the Minsiters, MLCs’, MLA’s and even the corporators in those respective areas might have traveled on these bad roads. Look at the road near Bendore-Well (across from Wilcon Building/Radha Medicals)-every year it is same issue-the road getting damaged. How many times has State Minister UT Khader taken this road, which is just a stone’s throw away from his residence? Has he taken any action by directing his friends at MCC to quickly resurface this dilapidated stretch of road which has been a nuisance to motorists, especially two-wheelers? Is the corporator aware of this stretch of road? I guess, absolutely NO! Just look at the pictures here, which will portray the poor work done by the workers while constructing this road. It gets worse and worse every year once the monsoon starts. I bet a ride on this stretch is akin to a ride on a ‘ camel’s ‘ back- just bumpy!
Just take a ride through the Shivabagh Cross road, which is a haven of rich people’s residences- but when you look at the pathetic condition of the road here, you will be surprised-potholes after potholes, right from Shivabagh road until the inner road connects Highway 66 near Karnataka Bank Head Office. And for that matter, Alake Raod, Bunder Road, Nanthoor Circle, Mary Hill, Kulshekar, Fr Muller Cross Road/Kankanady etc are terrible, which need quick attention and repair. But what are these corporators doing? Why can’t they pressurize on the concerned authorities in the MCC to rectify these important civic issues. Instead of fixing the bad roads first, our MCC officials are busy resurfacing inner-lanes with brand new interlock bricks- somebody is making some extra bucks here?
But when it comes to fixing the bad roads they are slow and careless. As long as cheap quality tar is being used and layered too thinly, we will continue to have these problems every year. It’s an obvious pattern and I wonder why nobody is looking into this, or better yet, our city officials should visit other metropolitan cities in India or other countries and see how they are coping with this matter. Without any delay, MCC should undertake a major exercise to refurbish City’s potholes. If not, I have a feeling that our city potholed scarred roads will entice manufacturers of such equipment to come to Mangaluru and demonstrate to the MCC officials that their machines are the best solution to their problem, like they are doing in other potholed cities.
Driving on Mangaluru streets, and for that matter, even on outskirts of the City, is like an obstacle course. Drivers keep swerving and maneuvering to make sure they miss every pothole. These potholes have also worsened the chronic traffic jams which Mangalureans face everyday, apart from driving through some of the bad potholed streets. Anyone who has had the misfortune of commuting on these streets will testify what a great pain the ride is – literally – owing to the numerous potholes that punctuate the road. Potholes aren’t just a nuisance for drivers; they also constitute dangerous safety hazards that can produce substantial damage to vehicles, force drivers to veer suddenly in traffic, or even cause the driver to lose control of a vehicle after contact. The gaping streets can also damage a car’s alignment and suspension system.
While poor maintenance by road-owning agencies is the main reason behind potholes contributing to crashes, experts said there was lack of uniformity and no standard design for speed breakers on most roads. Apart from bad roads, most speed breakers on internal roads are “hugely dangerous”. None follow design, curvature and location when constructing speed breakers. In most cases, locals put up speed breakers. These are more dangerous for two-wheeler riders and passengers in three-wheelers, who are hardly protected. This has also exposed how such causes behind crashes and fatalities are largely neglected while preparing plans to improve road safety. Until road-owning agencies were held accountable for maintenance and booked for negligence, the menace of potholes won’t end. We have hardly any cases of any action taken against such negligent officials/employees.
In conclusion, my humble request to the corporators who are representing their respective wards, and where many bad roads appear-they should take quick action to fix the potholes before they get deep and worse — thereby avoiding severe driving hazards and vehicle damages. So, while waiting for these roads to be restored for a smooth ride, just brace yourself because it’s once again bad pothole season in Mangaluru. And for sure, the MCC authorities will not take any action, until a major accident takes place, due to these potholed roads? Until then bear with the potholes or curse someone at the MCC or your area ward corporator – and still, keep driving safe. And just avoid taking “the above-mentioned roads that I took for a ride for a couple of hours”- if you can?
Click here for Photo Album
Also Read Related Articles Below:
‘Mother of Potholes’ Alake Road is Fit for ‘Motocross’ & Not for ‘Motorists’?
It’s Once Again Potholes Nightmare Near Nanthur Junction?
It’s Pothole Season in Mangaluru Again?
Mangaluru: Potholes Gone Mud Humps! Filling Potholes with Excess Mud-That’s Not ‘Smart’?
Bad Roads take Sheen off ‘Smart City’! Central Railway Station Road in Shambles
Mangaluru: MCC Crew Not ‘Smart’ for ‘Smart City’-Fix Bad Roads First, Then Concretize other Roads!
My humble is suggestion is that with all these civic issues that he has been highlighting in this non-bias portal, he should be i the MCC as a voluntary social worker who can highlight al these civic problems which have been turned a blind eye by the MC officials, and odd course, the COPORATORS???
Out of all pictures, can any one find a proper drainage system that is working? One or two pictures shows a look a like drainage but as a general philosophy water flows from high place to low place. A road without drainage is waste of money. Why the locality people oppose such paving of roads? Blame should go to MCC and its engineers along with general public too. Can`t they raise the road from ground level slightly so that water flows to either side?
Thank you for highlighting the issues faced by common people in Mangalore. Next year there will be elections for MCC and the corporators will start preparing agenda with ‘we will fix all the roads and make your life happier’ but we all know the outcome. We need to drive through same roads with bad condition. We as common people need to pay Road Tax, Property Tax, GST, Professional Tax and what we will get in return? I feel like we are paying Tax and half of that money will be used to provide Free perks to all those Millionaire politicians or corporators.
Alfie my man- you have nailed the ….. and ………… through this article- I bet it has awaken them and brought a shame for their negligence- bravo sir, good job! Keep publishing such civic issues being a non-bias portal for the benefit of the citizens. Thank You!