Don’t Get ‘Dirty’ & ‘Grumpy’- Avoid City’s Nellikai/Mission Roads which are ‘Muddy’ & ‘Shabby’?
Mangaluru: Yes, come rains and most roads of the city are flooded. Some roads see potholes and muddy water all over, some lose their asphalt cover and some others are deformed. You may be surprised to know that the Mangaluru City Corporation appoints private consultants to repair flood damage on roads with its own engineers. But the roads remain in bad shape even after that. Even though many roads were repaired prior to the rains, but, even today, most of the roads are waiting to be constructed and asphalted. And all these delays are due to the shady deals between the concerned dept authorities and contractors- everyone looking to make some extra here and there- and in the meantime, it is the citizens/business owners who suffer.
Many discrepancies can be noticed in the manner in which the contracts were executed. The quotations signed by the consultants and MCC do not mention a date nor the names and designations of the people who have signed. Seems like “No money, no roads, no records”? With so many non-finished projects lying around, one has to wonder how MCC can even boast of its achievements. With all the improper and wheeling and dealing going on in the Nagarapalike, it’s no wonder that our roads are in the condition that they are. And this report is about two roads namely Nellikayi Road and Mission Road (leading to Bunder area) are in pathetic and muddy conditions, that the business owners in that are fumed with MCC, and have already complained that road and related works are affecting their life in multiple ways.
And yours truly of Team Mangalorean has also faced the brunt of these two roads, since I take these roads quite often to buy my Dum biriyani at my favorite two Muslim restaurants- Bombay Lucky restaurant and Hotel Naufal. Whenever traveling on these two roads, both my clothing and my two-wheeler are covered with red dust from the muddy road- plus also leading towards health hazards. But its’not only Me, thousands of pedestrians and motorists take these two roads, and just imagine the nightmare they have to go through walking or riding on the stretch of these roads.
Even though the drainage work undertaken by MCC was started in November, and already finished- but the roads are left unattended after that, leaving it not asphalted or concreted, thus resulting in rest dust flying in the air and landing on the nearby buildings, shops
and even on people passing by. Talking about the big ” Smart City ” that Mangaluru is boasting about, but when you look at the conditions of these two roads, it seems like that there are NO Smart People in the concerned departments who give a damn about it. Bah humbug!
Naushad Ali, who lives at the end of Mission Road speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” I have been residing in this area for over five decades, and never seen these two roads in such a condition. Earlier these were clean roads with Tar. But from past two months M CC had dug the entire roads to install new sewage system. They have removed entire tar roads and people are finding it difficult to move on the roads as its full of mud and very slippery. Vehicles including 2 wheelers are finding a hard time to commute on these roads. Its been a mess. I would request at least one concerned person from MCC or District administration should spend at least 2 mins in this area, and then they will know the hardships created by these dilapidated and muddy roads. I am suffering from health problems, like cough, asthma etc ever since these roads were left in such conditions- I am inhaling more mud/dust than clean air”
Social activist and entrepreneur Zakir Ikhlas, who runs a Travel Agency on Mission Road said, “Ever since the contractors left this road after the drainage work was done few weeks ago, the asphalt has worn out resulting in both the Nellikayi Road and Mission Road getting muddy, and one has to suffer taking these two roads in order to reach Bunder-Kudroli areas. The muddy roads have also resulted in coating vehicles passing by or parked with red dust. The continuous movement of vehicles has also made the red dust fly, making way for breathing and other health issues. Not only that even my business has been hurt due to the pathetic conditions of the roads, where my clients are reluctant to come to my shop due to the bad conditions of the roads”.
Owner of Hotel Aradhana, a vegetarian restaurant on Mission Road said, “We have been using more of our precious water in sprinkling it on the road in order to prevent dust from flying. Our restaurant floors and walls are all coated with red dust, and we worry a lot that the dust may land on the food too. It’s sad to note that no one from the administration is taking any steps to asphalt or concrete the road, so at least people and motorists can have a smooth walk or ride on this road. It’s nearing two months since the work started, and unfortunately not finished putting us all in hardship and inconveniences.”
In the meantime clarifying on the issue, MCC area ward corporator Latheef had said that MCC no longer handles road related works, since road development work has been assigned under the Smart City project. Deputy Commissioner is at the helm of smart city development projects, so he has to take the initiative in completing this pending road work. A tender to undertake the concretization of this road will be approved soon. The DC has directed the concerned authorities to speed up the road work, rather than put citizens in hardship”.
The corporator also speaking to media had said, “In road work completion citizens need to have patience. Very often, technicians assign a certain number of days for a road work to be completed in an appropriate manner. In the case of asphalt or concrete work, the technicians assign days for curing. The citizens, however, mistake it to be a halt in the work and accuse us of inaction and negligence”. Okay well said by the corporator, but in the case of these two roads, the concrete or asphalt work has not even started, forget about curing?
Speaking to Team Mangalorean Abdul Hameed-the president of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, ” During a meeting held couple of days ago, the DC had said that tender has been approved for the start of road concrete/asphalt work, which should start soon. Even KCCI had submitted a letter expressing the grievances of the business owners on Nellikayi and Mission Road, and we are hoping that both the roads will be fixed soon”. Many hotel and other business owners have raised their voices against the slow action by the MCC or Smart City Project administration, and have urged the concerned people to the needful at the earliest, if not they will stage a protest to bring more pressure on the concerned people to act fast. Until then, everyone has to keep their fingers crossed, and wait until “Achha Din Ayage”, when seeing is believing of the “Completed Tar or Concreted Nellikayi Road and Mission Road?