A Smart-less Project? The New Milagres Cross Road is a MISERY for few Shop Owners as rainwater enters their businesses & HAZARDOUS for Public due to no Footpath
Mangaluru: While the last few days downpour brought relief from heat to majority of the people in the region, but for a few shop owners on the newly constructed Milagres Cross Road is nothing less than nightmares as water enters their shops, damaging most goods stored inside, when it pours heavily, since there no proper drainage for rainwater to flow, and also that the road is constructed at a higher level than the shop bases. And this is one among the many unscientific new roads that Mangaluru Smart City Limited has constructed recently under Smart City Development Projects, with no proper drainage nor footpaths. No doubt, the New Milagres Cross Road (MCR) is “A SMARTLESS PROJECT? at the moment, until some issues are not rectified soon.
Residents are worried when clouds appear on the horizon. While others enjoy the pleasant weather, but the shop owners and staff of some of the businesses on this MCR are busy shifting their belongings to some safer place lest it should be destroyed. While the problem of drainage is already grave in the town, this stretch of newly resurfaced MCR has further aggravated citizens woes. With the incomplete drain along the new road lying blocked with mud and other debris the rainwater finds an easy way into shops – and the shop keepers have to face the brunt of it.
“MCC Mayors, City Commissioners and other authorities have changed, but our situation has remained the same. Now that this project has been taken up by some Smarties at Smart City Office, they should have realized not to raise the height of the road, knowing that our shops are lying low. This speaks volumes of the farsightedness with which the administration works. We have been put to inconvenience for the sake of this new road, a project which too is lying in the lurch. How can a shopkeeper sleep soundly when he knows that it is sure to pour at night, and that water will enter the shop when you open the door or shutter in the morning. We have been jostling with the problem for the past few days during the construction work and even now when the road is almost completed,” said Dheeraj, a shop owner in the Milagres Centre.
“Even during the day, the mess created after rains cannot be imagined. The administration is well aware of the ensuing problem. It should take immediate and necessary steps, but till date, it seems officials are oblivious of the entire issue. A few shop owners, including myself, have submitted letters to the Mayor, MCC Commissioner, MLA Vedavyas Kamath, Corporator Vinayaraj and other concerned authorities long ago, stating that if water enters and damages our goods and property, they are liable to pay the compensation, but until now there has been no reply from any,” added Dheeraj.
When contacted one of the authorities at MSCL, he said the road will be in perfect shape within a week, with proper drainage, footpath, etc- but one has to believe only after it is materialized until then everyone has to keep their fingers crossed, to see the positive results. But with past experiences of the projects undertaken and completed either by MCC or MSCL, we all know the consequences and hardships we all have faced, either new roads, new footpaths, or new drainage-like new roads with no footpaths, new drainages overflowing into streets when it rains heavily, or footpaths with obstacles like debris, light-poles, pits etc.
Unpreparedness and improper planning of the administration compounded problems for a few residents and shop owners on this new MCR. We could soon see elected representatives and MCC and MSCL officials consoling the shop owners and residents, that everything will okay and they have to bear with them. Some leaders may even choose to switch off their mobiles instead of facing the shop owners/residents ire. But many shop owners on this stretch of the road lamented that none of the authorities bothered about coming to the rescue of those, who are facing the brunt of the road construction.
Until MSCL comes up with a good solution, shopkeepers on new MCR have to face immense difficulty due to waterlogging. The major reason behind the rainwater flooding is unscientific planning and lack of drainage facility. Hoping that this report and the pictures incorporated here, will awaken the concerned authorities and do the needful quickly, before the shop keepers and public face more hardship and inconveniences.