Mangalore : In 2010, the coastal areas have received rains intermittently, off and on, with small breaks from April to August so far. The city has been rainless after in the last 4 months, but it has also received heavy rains, from time to time, day or night, and when it is needed most. Even the electrical supply position has improved. The trains, buses and air flights are regular nationally and inter nationally, with a shocking crash tragedy in Bajpe in May, and Kenjaru (new terminal) airport opening on Aug. 2 for daily flight services. But the most pressing problem in city is not rainfall or power supply shortage but the utter shameful deterioration of roads in city during Monsoon.
Year after year, mayors come and go, Municipal Commissioners arrive and depart, even BJP takes over from Congress. But corruption continues in MCC and roads are not in proper shape to accommode a rising traffic. Mangalore never knew traffic blockades (jams, they say), but of late at odd hours during the day we see traffic halts in Kulshekhar, Hampankatta, and around SBI.
The roads were good when they were tarred, as in kadri, Shaktinagar and Kankanady. But when pot-holes developed in rains, and road concretization started, the existing good roads were thrown in a mess, and transport vehicles suffered on roads by vacillation to and fro, and you do not need stumps or bumps to reduce speeds by drunken drivers, as potholes did the job of speed breakers.
Not all the concretization work started in May have been completed by MFar constructions and other contractors, in Shaktinagar, Bikarnakatte, Hampanaktte, Kadri, Pandeshwara, and many lanes of the city as in Kodialbial (Sharada College road) and Dongerkery, or many such routes.
The Mayor and Commissioner should go together in a car and experience the pot-hole journeys all over the city. If necessary, the DC and DK minister or local MPs / MLAs should walk around these roads and lanes (near Falnir and Collectors Gate’) in Monsoon on a rain free day.
You may throw out unauthorized occupants and Vendors from their stalls and homes, but can you fill up the pot-holes with jelly stone powder or cement mixed with small stones to patch up the dangerous paths we walk on? There are no foot-paths for pedestrians in many places in city and there is a chaos in public roads during rainy season.