‘If They Could Fix the Road for PM’s Visit, Why Not Build a Small Road For Us’ – Maravoor Residents
Mangaluru : On 13 April 2019, when PM Narendra Modi visited Mangaluru for election campaigning for Dakshina Kannada BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel , all the main roads leading from Bajpe Mangalore International Airport and Back to MIA got a face-lift, and one such road which was tared and made to look perfect was the stretch of the road near Maravoor. When yours truly of Team Mangalorean on that early morning of 13 April, was clicking a few pictures of the restored road, a few residents of Maravoor vicinity came running towards me and said, “If they could fix the road for PM Modi’s arrival, why can’t they build a small road for us to reach our homes and other destinations safely without facing any inconveniences. We are facing a hectic life traveling on the muddy and dilapidated path filled with grown wild vegetation, and many a times we have come across reptiles, including poisonous snakes. Sir, you should highlight this issue, so that the concerned authorities could wake, and take action at least now, after so many years”.
Being tight in schedule on that day, I promised the Maravoor residents that a report on the road issue will be done soon. As they say “Better Late Than Never”, even though it is past a month since my assurance, yesterday I made my promise true. Believe me or not, I had a rough time wading through the treacherous path, which leads to many homes across from the Maravoor main road- and people travel on this path in order to reach their destinations in the harsh conditions. I was there just for an hour, and it was a terrible terrible ride on my two-wheeler and few minutes walk inn order to capture some pictures and get the details from the suffering residents of that area. Just imagine these residents going through all the hardships and inconveniences, not for an hour, nor days, nor weeks, but all year long?
Earlier when a single railway track of Konkan Railways existed, people of that area had not much problem to reach their homes, since a narrow road was accessible to make it to their homes or other places. But when Konkan Railways expanded their project adding one more track near the river/bridge, life for the residents of that area made it worse, since the earlier existing road/path disappeared during the double track railway construction- and left the people to take all kinds of ways to manage to reach their homes. And even now, no one from the Panchayat or the politicians whom they had elected to power have taken any action or come to their rescue in such hardships.
The railways have built a few steps which are so steep and deep, without any railings to hold, where seniors and young children are finding it difficult to climb or alight the steps- but they manage to use the steps with no other option- sometimes requesting others to hold their hands while using the steps. Now with the double railway tracks in that vicinity, for people, especially the children it has been a safety hazard crossing the tracks- and many a times it is learnt that two trains pass on both sides of the tracks, making life still risky?
Shrikhar Nayak, a resident who has been fighting to get justice on the hardship he and many residents are facing without having a proper road said, that in the just concluded majority of the residents stayed away from voting, thereby sending a clear message, “If you can’t provide us a road and other facilities, why even elect you?” Well said by this resident. Antony who take this dilapidated path every single day to his work place says it is a nightmare, since many a times when it get dark snakes and other reptiles come out, and few times I have singly handled a bunch of snakes, but luckily never got bit- and especially during monsoons it is still worse.
Now a pipeline construction work is going on, with the entire area being dug, residents taking that path are breathing in dust with the entire vicinity being polluted- and once rains start it will be messy affair, filed with slush mud etc- and the poor residents have to face all the consequences, due to the negligence of Railways authorities and other netas who were elected into power. Many a times situation remains grim when houses get flooded due to heavy flow of water at the Mavaroor Vented dam being near Mangalore Airport. It was the delay in providing a retaining wall as part of the construction of the Maravoor vented dam that caused the damage to houses, lands and a road in Padushedde area on the banks of the Gurupura river.
During monsoons, when the flash floods following heavy rains wash away several coconut trees and other plants being grown by residents and the road they were use to reach nearby bridge on the Mangalore-Bajpe Road, people are forced to take a circuitous route via Bondel. Residents allege that authorities did not take steps to prevent the flash floods and pointed out that blocks because of construction of the vended dam were to blame. Such is the harsh and hectic life residents are facing in this Maravoor vicinity, and they are still in doubts that anyone will come to their rescue in the nearest future. PM Modi came and left traveling on the resurfaced road in the Maravoor area, but the poor residents have to still bear the brunt not having a proper road to reach their homes, during rain or shine. And with monsoons approaching soon, they are all still worried as to what consequences they might have to face. Is anyone from the concerned departments listening to the woes of these people?
