The MCC ‘Misery’ Balmatta Road-Where Life Is In Jitters…

The MCC ‘Misery’ Balmatta Road-Where Life Is In Jitters…

Mangaluru: One thing for sure, that you’ll all agree with me is that-Digging of roads/streets/bye-lanes will never stop in Mangaluru no matter what- and we have seen it and will see in future too. Without proper planning, new roads are constructed, and after a while the new roads are dug to lay cables- couple of months ago the whole stretch of City street from Karavali Circle (Kankanady Pumpwell) till Hamilton Circle was to install new 33-KV power cable, a project of Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company (Mescom). This initiative has been taken up by Mescom due to frequent disruptions in power supply due to bad weather, falling off tree branches, and other reasons.

But the mess created by Mescom, traffic, and pedestrians faced the brunt of it. While the digging work was in progress pedestrians had a tough time to walk on the footpaths or cross the roads. There were interlock bricks scattered all over and dug up mud blocking pedestrians movement. As per Mescom officials, the toughest task they had to face was while they are shifting existing power poles and installing new 33-KV power cables, since many commercial complexes, educational institutions, hospitals etc are located on this project line.

Although Mescom had completed their work, they have still not fixed the dug up holes or put the interlocks in their original condition. Following close on its heels, MCC laborers started to dig between Liquid Lounge Pub and Crystal Arc building on Balmatta Road, to a lay a bigger size drainage pipe for the smooth flow of drainage/sewage water from the nearby businesses and houses. While the work was going on, pedestrians and motorists had to bear with all the inconveniences which also resulted in traffic snarls and an added nightmare on this stretch of the road. One would ask why MCC had to wait on this work so long- and now that monsoon has started it’s already a mess there- with slush and dirty mud getting onto the road.

Now that the drainage pipe had been laid over a week ago, but the laborers have left a mess, by not fully restoring the area to the original condition. Getting a parking space on this stretch of Balmatta Road is hard, and now with all this mess of leftover mud/bricks, it has become a nightmare for motorists to park their vehicles- some of the vehicles parked in this area, their rear end are sticking out into the main road. Also the pedestrians walking on this stretch are now an agitated lot and are left in jitters. This dilapidated portion of the road has left the residents wondering where the priorities of the MCC authorities are lying, and also the citizens are keeping their fingers crossed as to when the dug up road will be fixed. Needless to say that the tall claims of the authorities prove hollow as the citizens continue to suffer – this dug up road needs to be fixed soon before any untoward incidents occur.

The once beautifully laid interlocked Balmatta road is in shambles, and no MCC authorities have come forward to fix it. With roads and footpaths dug up, people are left with no space to walk, whenever a road project starts. Is there a solution? With constant digging up on many roads in the city, they have turned the area into a war-zone. Footpaths are broken, construction debris scattered here and there, pedestrians have to endlessly battle bulldozers, open drains and ditches, cement blocks and stones, no street lights (thus absolute darkness in the night) and a never-ending stream of heavy vehicular traffic, day and night. Even the circle near Kadri Shivabagh (in front of KFC/Dolphin Restaurant) which was dug to rectify an overflow drainage problem, has been left with a mess (mud, bricks scattered) after the work was completed.

When there is a pit dug right in the middle of a road, life gets a little difficult for commuters. But what if the pit is not filled properly after the work is completed? At such times, it will be hazardous for the motorists. The problem is that no one seems interested in flattening the road. With all the debris left behind and also that the dug up places are not restored properly, it seems quite dangerous for motorists and pedestrians to commute. We all know that Mangalureans are quite reluctant in lodging complaints- that’s a reason we have so many civic problems that are not rectified, until it leads to a serious issue, like a serious injury or death. Wake up folks, complain to the concerned authorities if you notice something hazardous to human life. Let’s all join hands and to make Mangaluru a safer place to move around and live safely. Only our constant complaints and pressure on our elected Netas/officials can solve the problems. If we keep quiet, we are putting our own lives in danger moving around in the flunked “Smart City”?

Also Read Related Articles Below:

• Digging Never Stops in M’luru! Now It’s MCC’s Turn to lay Drainage Pipe
• Mescom gets SHOCK? MCC Charges Them Rs 59 Lacs for Digging
• Mangaluru: In Shambles! Digging Never Stops on City’s Arya Samaj Road
• Digging Never Stops on City’s Newly Made Roads