Dig It-Forget It! Arya Samaj Rd in Shambles Again

g It-Widen/Deepen It, Forget It! Arya Samaj Rd in Shambles Again-A Nightmare for Motorists and Pedestrians

Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation need to come up with their own slogan like-“Dig It-Widen/Deepen It, Forget It?” Remember that once ‘Hero Honda’ company came up with this memorable ad slogan – “Fill It, Shut It, Forget It “. The idea was to communicate the fuel efficiency of the motorcycle produced by the company. It was a huge hit with the bikers. Taking inspiration from Hero Honda, MCC probably has started its own slogan – “Dig It, Widen/Deepen It, Forget It”. Instead, they could have taken inspiration from ‘Nike’ and say “Just Dig It”. But choosing HH was more Indian and gives a deeper signal as it is more than digging (deepen and forgetting is as crucial).

I mean it is amazing how MCC never tires to keep digging the old roads, newly laid roads, already dug roads, pavements etc. Just name it and they have managed to dig it. They just don’t dig them but create craters/potholes of sorts. Most of the time these craters/potholes are at critical spots like junctions and on really busy roads, disrupting everything. Once these roads are dug they forget about it and it becomes a pool of dirty and stinking water. Suddenly someone will complain and remember, they will do a mess of filling the crater. By the time they do it, it is time re-digging it again. And one such road, is Arya Samaj Road where digging never stops since the whole stretch was once beautified with interlocks. Just look at this road now–interlocks have loosened, roads dug for laying drainage are left incomplete, footpath are incomplete with ‘death-traps’ here and there, garbage scattered on walk-ways etc.

Worst is there is hardly any sign on the road to indicate that a crater/pothole has been created and one just ends up taking a free dive into the pool and enjoy the swim. At times they put a tree/bush on the site indicating the ditch which is like so funny. What times are they living in. The entire mess MCC pushes onto its citizens is appalling to say the least. It is like fighting a war everyday driving on the roads. You never know where you are going to land. If you cannot do good, at least minimize harm..Needless to say, but all this madness leads to several diseases and infections. Children are the biggest sufferers of this but no one really cares. Just garbage and carelessness everywhere.

This morning I got a call from CA Sunil Gonsalves, residing on Arya Samaj Road stating that Arya Samaj Road is in a mess, where water mixed with red soil has been flowing down the road into gutters and also into his yard. “Last night they have been excavating a property at the end of Arya Samaj Road, and due to the rainfall, mud mix with water has made the road surface slushy. Pedestrians have been finding hard to walk by this road, and even two-wheelers had a tough time navigating through the slush. In the morning the property owner had brought in a water tanker, and started cleaning the road only at the entrance portion of the property- and while cleaning all the muddy water had flown into neighbours yard, including mine, and also gutters. What is MCC doing, by not looking at the safety of the pedestrians and motorists. Also excavating should not be done at night, disturbing the neighbors, but no one cares. MCC officials are least bothered, and also corruption/bribe plays an important role in such cases. Tax paying citizens are helpless” added Gonsalves.

Incomplete Footpaths posing danger to pedestrians and motorists:

It is sad to note that Major roads have not been cared to make pedestrian-friendly footpaths on the roadside. The prime importance on roads is for pedestrians but sadly in our culture, that is missing. Many of the streets have been mauled. The gradient of footpaths should facilitate easy and comfortable walking for the elderly and handicapped, but sadly our footpaths are broken at several points and never help the pedestrians, and many pedestrians are getting hurt due to dilapidated foot path. This shows that that the PWD/MCC has shown utter callousness in constructing a perfect footpath.

For example- Now that a new footpath was constructed at end of Arya Samaj Road in the city- but the workers have left a unfinished job. Large pits in the footpath have been left behind posing danger to pedestrians and motorists. There have been already few minor incidents where people and motorists have slipped and fallen into these open pits in the incomplete footpaths. It is also dangerous for vehicles making a left turn from Kadri Road into Arya Samaj Road, because at the curve the workers have left a dangerous pit unattended. Few vehicles have already been into this ditch, with minor damages–I guess MCC is waiting for a big mishap or a death before they decide to fix this ‘Death-Trap”. All I can say is that the new footpath constructed on Arya Samaj Rd made the contractor and some of the city officials rich, other than that this project is simply a waste of tax payers money.

And we should remember. Mangaluru is still trying to be India’s Smart City, full of smart people, but has already flunked twice in getting approved as one of nation’s “Smart City”. But how can we become a smart city, when we roads/footpaths/drainage in shambles? The sheer decline of the city is a result of really bad policy and complete ignorance and nonchalance. A terrible case of how to ruin tax payers money. Period!

Also Read Related Articles by the Author:

• Mangaluru: In Shambles! Digging Never Stops on City’s Arya Samaj Road
• Mangaluru: Arya Samaj Road in Shambles! Tax Payers Money Poured Down the Drain
• Mangaluru: The New Incomplete Footpath on Arya Samaj Rd- Taxpayers Money Down the Drain
• We Dig It, You Fix It! An Attitude of Road….
• Life is full of Ups and Downs when you walk on this newly made Footpath