Bajal Residents still Wade through the Flooded RUB Water

Bajal Residents still Wade through the Flooded RUB Water

Mangaluru: The Rail Under Bridge (RUB) recently constructed near Padil-Bajal Road, near to Mangalore Junction Railway Station, and which was put into use just a few months ago has been still creating more problems than helping people. And with the recent heavy rains, the RUB has been flooded making it hard for light vehicles, especially two-wheelers to navigate through it. Local residents have to wade through the knee high water to reach their destinations. But still, none of the Railway authorities nor MCC officials have come forward to rectify the pending issues. With no proper drainage planned while constructing this RUB, rain water gets stranded up to knee level and sometimes even above.

Mangaluru City Corporation has still not been able to set right the vital road that provides access to many other adjoining areas. This Under Bridge has totally cut off the road connecting Faisalnagar and Jayanagar, where people of these areas are now forced to walk up to the main road at Padil to go for work or do other errands. With the incessant rains lately, and due to the poor planning of this under-bridge with no proper drainage the rain water has been collecting till knee high. While motorists, especially two-wheelers are managing to wade through the water, the pedestrians are using alternative and longer routes to avoid this mess in order to reach their work places and other appointments in the city. The main reason for the present pathetic situation is because of the lack of coordination between the City administration and Palakkad division of Southern Railways.

Faulty design and planning of the Road under Bridge (RuB) near Padil-Bajal by the Southern Railways, Mangaluru City Corporation has to bear the brunt in rectifying the “Flooded Situation”? Even as of today, 3 September 2016 nothing much has been done to fix this “watery” situation. The RuB looks like swimming pool, and few days ago there was a protest by a organization by fishing in this flooded water. With no other option to allow the flow of the stranded water, MCC has been using pump-sets to pump water to clear the area, when it rains. The pump-set will be placed permanently until monsoon ends-just an added expenses to MCC, in other words, waste of hard earned tax-payers money for a job done bad by some goof-ball?

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, one of the site supervisor handling the RUB work said, ” We are trying to pump out as much water as possible. Once the water is drained out, the RuB will be fully concreted to a certain level, making sure no water will be collected during monsoons. Drainage will be constructed along the sides, so that the water flows out easily into the side culverts. Due to constant rains, it will take a few weeks before everything is fixed, and the road will be made available for the motorists and pedestrians to use it without any inconveniences.

The funny part was that not knowing that the RuB was closed, MLA Moideen Bawa who arrived by car to visit a function in Padil-Bajal area had to turn around and take a longer route to reach his destination. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, MLA Bawa said, ” I will this issue withe Southern Railway department officials and see that they take necessary action without further delay. It’s shame that after spending few crores, the RuB is still not usable. I will speak to the MCC Mayor to convey a meeting soon to find another alternative other than pumping water daily during rainy season, to rectify this situation, which has put motorists and pedestrians in hardship. Just like a faced the inconvenience in crossing this road to reach my destination, similarly the residents are also facing problems for their daily commute”

While the main road goes straight towards Bajal, the one immediately after the under-bridge leads to Veera Nagar and on the right leads to Vijaya Nagar. The road to Veera Nagar has to utilize some portion of the Railway land, for which, the corporation says, the former was objecting to and the work was getting delayed. Though the corporation was aware of the existence of a perennial stream immediately after the under-bridge, little was done to allow free flow of water without disturbing the vehicular movement through the bridge. With heavy rains lately, water is getting accumulated inside the concrete box forcing vehicle users to wade through the pool. Corporation should speed up the construction of the drain to facilitate smooth flow of the stream- but at present it seems like nothing has been done so far, other than pumping of water.

Although RuB road stretch has been closed for the timing, but two-wheelers ride and pedestrians wade through this flooded/stranded water, putting their lives in risk-other than that the RuB that was constructed with few crores has resulted in tax payers money going down the, “Drain”?

Also Read Related article below :

Go Fishing in Troubled RUB Water at Padil-Bajal

Faulty RuB by Railways! MCC bears the Brunt