City’s ‘Nanthoor Junction’ should be Renamed as ‘Potholes Junction’?
Mangaluru: After weeks of heavy rain, potholes have resurfaced on roads in parts of Mangaluru city, but one spot with “merciless” potholes that creates inconvenience and hardship to motorists and pedestrians is near the Nanthoor Junction, on the way from Kadri to Bikkarankatte. And our current MCC Mayor takes this stretch of road every day from home to MCC Office- and back to his home after work hours. But has he taken any action till now to rectify this problem- ABSOLUTELY NO? The relentless rain that lashed the city has washed away the asphalt into the nearby drains, opening up old potholes, and creating new ones. Potholes have turned into craters at many places in the city. During the monsoon, commuters have to deal with large potholes on several spots at Pumpwell to Bendoorwell, near Jeppu Market, Bolar, Hoige Bazar, Hampankatta Junction, Jail Road, edges of the road at Navabharath Circle, Karangalpady and Bridge Road (connecting Jyothi and Balmatta), and the one at Nanthoor Circle, and so on.
The interlocks laid on several locations in the city including at Lalbagh have slipped aside, developing new potholes. The road towards Rosario Church road after the railway crossing also has a lot of potholes. To avoid these potholes, many drivers tend to move on the right side of the road and come face-to-face with vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Pedestrians are also the worst affected as they have to use umbrellas to protect themselves from water getting splashed onto them by speeding vehicles. Owing to the damaged roads with potholes, the traffic sets on snail speed during peak hours. With the high density of vehicles in the rains, it takes nearly 30 minutes to travel short distances of nearly one-kilometre. The two-wheeler riders find it difficult to judge the depth of the water-covered potholes.
The traffic police blame the potholes for the traffic congestion. The civic authorities blame the monsoon for the potholes- and it’s all in the blame game every year.
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. By the way, motorists taking the way near Nanthoor junction towards Bikkaranakatte/Kulshekar are facing the brunt every single day, commuting through this route ridden with potholes and stranded water. Instead of fixing the roads first, our MCC officials are busy resurfacing inner-lanes with brand new interlock bricks. 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.
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 the outskirts of the City, is like an obstacle course. Drivers keep swerving and manoeuvring to make sure they miss every pothole. These potholes have also worsened the chronic traffic jams which Mangalureans face every day, apart from driving through Alake Road, other potholed surfaces are some streets in Bunder area, Bibi Alabi Rd, Nanthoor junction Rd, Opposite Jimmy’s Super Market-Kadri, etc etc.
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. I bet a ride on this stretch is akin to a ride on a ‘camel’s’ back- just bumpy! 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.
The city crews 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 pothole season in Mangaluru. And for sure, the MCC authorities will not take any action, until a major accident takes place, due to potholes? Until then bear with the potholes or curse someone at the MCC— and still keep driving safe.