Mangaluru Smart City Ltd ‘TRAFFIC ISLANDS’ have Turned into ‘ WASTE ISLANDS’?
Mangaluru: As per Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (MSCL), the Smart City projects of Mangaluru focus on the development of waterfronts, roads & improvement of fisheries to promote trade and thus help in the improvement of the economy. Being a coastal city, waterfront development aims at connecting communities to water. Their Plan for each investment along the rivers and wide seashores in Mangaluru is to encourage activity, unleash vitality and increase land value while providing places for people to enjoy.
The need for infrastructural development is to show a great deal of progress in providing the best liveable space and public spaces for people. When the smart city rollout is done successfully, the coastal pride of Mangaluru can open up globally because of vast natural resources and huge manpower, according to says MSCL website. But in reality, if you look at the many projects completed by MSCL they have NOT been maintained once the work is completed. Just look at the newly developed Kadri Park Road; the Clock Tower and its surroundings; the recently developed City & Service Bus stand; Cty Road medians where 90% of the plants are dead; new MSCL bus shelters not maintained properly and have become home for the homeless among other projects.
Traffic islands are provided to regulate the traffic flow in an orderly movement. Circular traffic islands are very popular in the junctions of roads where more than three roads meet. Traffic islands parallel to roads are provided where two roads run parallel to each other to regulate inward traffic and outward traffic. Added to the above projects MSCL had created a bunch of ISLANDS in the City-near Lady Hill Junction; A B Shetty Circle; Kankanady Pumpwell near Flyover; Near Clock Tower; among other places. However, when these Islands were developed they had greenery and plants, but days later with a lack of maintenance, all these Islands are in pathetic conditions with waste scattered, flex hoardings/banners displayed; broken signs lying, etc. Grass has dried up due to negligence in not watering them.
Total CARELESSNESS and NEGLIGENCE- and we call Mangaluru a SMART CITY. Bah, Humbug!
