Shabby & Shitty Work by NHAI in Fixing Potholes near Pumpwell Flyover Was Just An Eyewash

Shabby & Shitty Work by NHAI in Fixing Potholes near Pumpwell Flyover Was Just An Eyewash

• Shitty & Shabby Work by NHAI in Fixing the Potholes near Pumpwell Flyover Was Just an Eyewash to FOOL the PUBLIC and MEDIA. If you look at the pathetic condition of the service road near Pumpwell Flyover, as of today, the patchwork done by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in repairing the potholes;es, has completely worn out- and the potholes are much worse then they were before. Now we need, More WOMEN to highlight the issue with More Onam “POOKALAMS’??-to rectify the problem, I guess.

Mangaluru: Yes, with no doubt, the potholes seen on the service roads, on each side of the Kankanady Pumpwell Flyover is a nightmare for motorists, especially two-wheelers. Driving or riding on this road is like an obstacle course. Drivers keep swerving and manoeuvring to make sure they miss every pothole. These potholes have also worsened the chronic traffic jams which commuters face every day, who take this service road, either work, school/college or other engagements. Anyone who has had the misfortune of commuting on this stretch of the service road will testify what a great pain the ride is – literally – owing to the numerous potholes that punctuate the road. I bet a ride on this stretch is akin to a ride on a ‘ camel’s ‘ back- just bumpy!

Yes, this is a busy road, and every commuter taking this road has nursed the after-effects of juddering over potholes of all shapes and sizes. The civic authorities desultory efforts to fill them only result in these craters reappearing sooner rather than later. Sometimes it’s dangerous for vehicles to pull out of the potholes promptly, particularly at night. These potholes have become a nuisance for motorists, especially two-wheeler riders. But the concerned authorities have turned a blind eye to this hazard. Even some of the roads with potholes leading to major hospitals, they have become a major obstacle for ambulances too.

And to highlight the pathetic condition of the Pumpwell flyover service road filled with potholes education consultant, Radhika Deemanth Suvarna from Mangaluru did something different- as part of Onam celebrations which was on 1 September, She with the help of her friends, namely- make-up artist Nelofar, Yuvika, and Supritha created an Onam flower arrangement called “Pookalam” and spread it around the pothole-thereby highlighting the issue. It was a nice idea, which did receive good compliments from citizens, and quickly NHAI repaired the ONLY pothole which was decorated with flowers.

After this few media had publicized that the potholes have been fixed due to the “Pookalam Effect”- and due to curiosity Team Mangalorean visited the flyover area, and was surprised to notice, other than ONE pothole, none of the other potholes were repaired- and in response to this, Team Mangalorean published two reports, and contacted NHAI Engineer and pressurized him to do the job right- for which he promised to do it. (Ref: ‘Pookalam Effect’ News is Not True! NHAI Fixing Only ONE Pothole was Just An Eye Wash?) and (Ref: Pumpwell Bale, Gundi Thule? Lady Educational Consultant Highlights Potholed Road with Onam ‘Pookalam’)

And within a day of our report being published, NHAI officials along with Navayuga Constructions Ltd (which did the flyover) fixed the potholes and sent us the photos- and Team Mangalorean once again visited the spot, and found out that majority of the potholes were fixed, except for the tiny ones- and once again Mangalorean.com published a report (Ref: Website Impact! NHAI was Quicker than MCC in Repairing Potholes near Pumpwell Flyover). Unfortunately, three-four days later, Team Mangalorean was shocked to see that every pothole that was repaired had worn out or completely damaged- and once again both sides of the flyover service roads are again ridden with potholes, which are much worse than they were before. Both NHAI and Navayuga just fooled us with their shabby work, which was just an eyewash.

Throwing some loose stuff in a hole and just hoping the traffic driving over it will fix it, will not serve the purpose. The evidence now says otherwise. I think the only way to solve the current pothole mess is to lay a two-layered concrete road with a seal coat but the problem is, our authorities I bet are busy playing blame games. Experts say repairing roads and filling potholes have been fine-tuned into an annual money-making exercise. It is a telling testimony of the quality of our workmanship that potholes appear every year necessitating relaying or re-asphalting of roads. It has almost turned into an annual exercise that is a drain on the exchequer. Experts argue that the shortcoming is not in technology, but a deliberate attempt by the unholy nexus of municipal and NHAI authorities and contractors to generate works every year, with the aim of siphoning taxpayers’ money.

It is not for want of technical know-how that our roads are not laid properly. It is a deliberate attempt to create civic works. Outrage about potholes is seen as an opportunity to seek funds from the State government. This is having a huge economic impact on honest taxpayers in more ways than one. As long as cheap quality tar is being used and layered too thinly, we will continue to see these problems again and again- and the work done to fix the potholes near Pumpwellflyover is an example. Potholes aren’t just a nuisance for drivers; they also constitute dangerous safety hazards that can produce substantial damage to vehicles, force drivers to veer suddenly in traffic, or even cause the driver to lose control of a vehicle after contact. The gaping streets can also damage a car’s alignment and suspension system.

The NHAI crew should take quick action AGAIN to fix the potholes before they get deep and worse — thereby avoiding severe driving hazards and vehicle damages, and DO IT RIGHT! In conclusion, why can’t an economically thriving city get its roads right? What is stopping the authorities from getting work done? Is it pure laziness or is there an undercurrent of other not so obvious reasons? How can it be fixed-We need to fix responsibility and adhere to a preset framework? We need to evolve a better system than what is in place now because there are too many people involved. Too much bureaucracy is a bad thing. It slows down the decision-making process, increases corruption and nepotism and thus slows down the work. In the end, the citizens suffer.

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