THAT’S NOT SMART? Kadri Kambla Road- a Road with Footpaths & NO Footpaths?

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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THAT’S NOT SMART? Kadri Kambla Road- a Road with Footpaths & NO Footpaths?

Mangaluru: Welcome to Incredible Kudla- the picturesque Coastal and Education Hub, where you can experience Incomplete New Roads, Quite a few Stinking Open Drainage, Sunken Manholes, Irregular Footpaths, Scattered Garbage, Neglected thousands of Stray dogs, Unlicensed Street Vendors/petty shops, Reckless and Arrogant Bus Drivers etc – and still this City is named as “SMART CITY”? How it happened and who judged it, are questions which will never get the answers.

For a City which has been selected as one of the “Smart City” of India, but it seems like we are lacking “Smart People”, right from MCC Officials, Engineers, Contractors, and other District authorities who are simply wasting tax payers hard earned money on projects, which once completed can’t be use either by the motorists nor citizens. This article is just an example of one road, where we see irregularity in footpaths, because there are many such roads in the city of the same category. The reason me doing a report on this road, is for the fact that I take this stretch of road every single day, 365 days a year- and when I see the pathetic and non-systematic developmental work that is done on this Road, makes me feel ashamed as to why even our officials/contractors are wasting money on such projects which are half done/irregular/safety hazard for pedestrians etc etc.

I don’t even know nor care a damn as to who the area corporator is, but whoever the person is, He or She, should be ashamed of the work that is carried on this stretch of Kadri Kambla Road, right from the start of Bharath Beedi Works until the end where it joins the road going towards Circuit House/KPT. The funny part is that all along this stretch of the road, you will find irregular and incomplete footpaths, with drainage below them. If you are lucky to walk a few distance on the footpath on one side of the side, all of a sudden it ends, and you will see footpath on other side of the road.

And if you are a very dedicated and safety conscious minded person, who is strictly committed to walk on footpaths, then you will have to cross the road and use the footpath on this side of the road. But that footpath won’t take you for a long distance, it also will end with a drainage hole or a house entrance or a shop, where you will have to step down, and if you still insist on walking on a footpath-you will have to cross the road, and make use of the footpath on that side of the side. Smart, isn’t it in the so called Smart City?

With all these incomplete and unfinished footpaths with drainage water flowing below it, come monsoon, you will see water gushing out from these incomplete drainage cum footpath, on to the road, making it a flooded street. This results in nightmare for motorists and pedestrians. Where is the Mayor? Where is the DC? Where is the Ward Corporator? Where are the PWD and District Administration Authorities? Has anyone done a proper planning while taking up the construction of footpath/drainage work of this road. This stretch of road with incomplete footpaths/drainage is in complete mess, just like few others in the City. Does it make any sense? When we have senseless officials in the administration, that’s what happens. Hard earned tax-payers money wasted on bad planning of foot-paths, drainage, and also roads, added to it.

An educated senior citizen residing on Kadri Kambla road, but frequently uses this road for his morning and evening walks speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “As a person using this road everyday, I am shocked that this being one of the main thoroughfares of the city, our corporation has chosen to turn a blind eye at the condition of the footpaths/drainage. It is more safe to walk on the road than on these footpaths, which don’t have a start and end point. Are they waiting for an accident and the protest that follows, before they do something about it. Is our MCC happy with the “Smart City” tag when such careless projects are undertaken. I fail to understand how they can leave the footpaths in such conditions for full use, as if it is completed. I am ardent reader of Mangalorean.com, and I commend Team Mangalorean for the hard work you do to highlight all these civic issues so often. Thank you for your prompt interest and action. Media people like you can make a difference”.

Yes, in Mangaluru lately we have been seeing new roads, footpaths and drainage being constructed-the road widening was proposed as a solution to the traffic congestion in this growing city with lots of traffic and commuters. India’s education hub, Mangaluru has an abundance of charms but its roads and traffic are not among them. The roads are narrow and the network woefully scanty, despite the fast-paced growth and exploding vehicle population in this city. Roads are so wretched that helpless residents can only make light of the misery by creating pothole-counting face-offs and crater-measuring contests. But when they decide to build new roads or footpaths or drainage, they are not planned proper.

This is Kadri Kambla Road – Footpath on one side, and No Footpath on other side?

In conclusion, through a deadly combination of a lack of expertise, bad planning, as well as rampant corruption. MCC should lay some standards that will set the paradigm for future footpath/drainage works, and not like the one, Kadri Kambla, a perfect example of shabby and shameless work. MCC authorities should inspect and supervise when the work is going on. If not, it will be business as usual. Footpaths/drainage/manholes will continue to be constructed and reconstructed while money will leak out and line the pockets of corrupt people involved.

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2 Comments

  1. Mr Alfie, there is a saying goes: Donkey Praises its own Tail.
    Area Corporator is busy on Traffic Circles to promote ……… . He knows that “If you feed the Cow, You get the Milk”. So He is feeding …….. to get the cream.

    This Corporator has created more problems then good to the public of the area.
    For Example, City Police East Traffic requested Me to install Barricades near Karnataka Bank to avoid accidents. At their request, at My Cost, I Installed 6 Poles to stop vehicles driving through Small Lane where little Children and Senior Citizen walk. Instead of appreciating, he questioned Me in front of the Public inside the MCC Building, Saying” Ninna Ammerena Jagena alpa Kamba Padere”. He went on abusing Me until I was ready to smack Him on His Face.

    Everywhere You drive, there is a chance of falling into the roadside gutter on Kambla Road. Look at the Car Wash Water flowing into the rain gutter in two places. There are Water wells close to this Gutter. Naturally, this Car Wash Water is sucked into Tankers through Pumps and Public are provided with this water. I have spoken to the Health Official and Environmental Official of the City. But it is like Spitting in the Air which falls on our face.

    There is also daylight robbery of Street Lights… . I told about it to Engineer Devraj, Commissioner Nasir including Mayor. It is like pouring water on Bulls’ Back. Just drive on Kambla Road and Pinto Lane and look at the Street Lights being misused with Tax payers money.

    You along with Mangalorean.com doing a great job for the Community pointing out problems and corruption. Please, I ask the Public to take serious action regarding this Street Light Robbery. Look on Arya Samaj Road too where a House Gate is lighted by Public Light.

  2. Also, Kadri Kamba road has many “narrow lanes”, where residents do not have decent road approach even in the 21st century. “Landlords” refuse to leave even small piece of land to construct a decent road. Sick, old people are literally carried on chairs, stretchers, etc. when they are unwell, as any 4 wheeler or auto rickshaw can not enter these lanes.

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