Commuters Want to ‘Know’, Why Rs 14 Cr Court Road Work So ‘Slow’?

Commuters Want to ‘Know’, Why Rs 14 Cr Court Road Work So ‘Slow’?

Mangaluru: I remember taking this dilapidated road decades ago when I did my High school and College at St Aloysius Institution – but during that time there was an option, either we could take this road or climb the 100 plus steps which still exist, if you want to reach your destination- be it to the school/college or to the Court offices. But now with the construction of the court road going on, commuters coming from Bunts Hostel side are left with only one option- to climb the steps?. Or take a long route to reach the court from Kodialbail (Bishop’s House) side. Especially women employees of the Court are facing lots of inconvenience and hardship climbing these steps to be at their job in time- and they are exhausted by the time they reach their office.

Sashikala S, a middle-aged lady employed at the Court Complex speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Ever since this court road was closed for construction of a new one, we the women working at the court offices have been facing lots of hardship climbing these steps in order to reach our workplace. Most of us who come from Kadri/and other places from that side have to get down from the bus at Bunts Hostel- and from there walk and take these steep steps. Even though my legs are weak, I have no other way to get to my office, other than climb these treacherous steps. I only wish the concerned authorities will speed up the road work, complete it soon, thereby make our commute to work easy-rather than torture us this way”.

Malini, one more staff of District Court Complex said, “It is really hectic to climb all these steps in the morning to get to our work. The road which was supposed to be completed in few months has now been delayed for unwanted reasons- and everyone is putting a blame on each other. The way the work is progressing at a snail’s pace I have a doubt it could take few more months or could be a year? I am not happy with our city administration the way they are handling their projects- and this court road project is one bad planning among them”.

This court road which was surrounded by many trees had many objections from St Aloysius Institution management and students, and also other citizens/environmentalists on cutting down these trees in order to make way for road widening- so their protests had forced the government/MCC and other local representatives to take steps to protect these and more trees by using a latest technology. And this technology is named as “Soil Nailing Technology” which was approved by State Government and Mangaluru City Corporation- and a consultant from Bengaluru was assigned to undertake this project.

In the meantime as the work started, there were delays by the consultant who never showed up at the site for months- and this delayed the work since the contractors had no chance to further continue the work in the absence of the consultant-thereby delaying the work. And now with the monsoon season, the work will be further delayed and could take a year to finish the entire stretch. A few of the City engineers do admit that the project was not well planned. How nice?

Former MCC corporator Ranganath Kini speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Putting the blame on each other will not solve the problem. There is absolutely no need of delaying the work for technical reasons. The priority is the completion of the road, which is important now. Blocking the road for several months clearly shows the inability of the administration- and since this project is related to a connecting road to district court complex, it should have been completed even before the scheduled time. Presently no one knows when this road will be completed”.

It is learnt that according to MCC Corporator of Court Ward, A C Vinayaraj who had said that the work delay was due to the problems between the consultant as well as the contractors. But once this road is completed it will be one of the best one in the City by protecting the nature as well as geographical structure- and this hilly region is an aesthetic property of the City. There are plans to add e-toilets in the Court Ward, and since this Ward is urban in nature, commuters from various destinations should get the best way to attend nature’s call, said the Corporator. Anyways, well said by the Corporator, but as to when the Court Road will be ready to use-No One is ready to give a proper answer?