Mangaluru, September 13, 2024: It is not just industries that are bogged down by the crumbling road infrastructure in Baikampady Industrial Area, residents too have been facing the ordeal in terms of overflowing drains, battered roads, and other inconvenience.
The Baikampady Valaya Nagarikara Hitharakshana Samiti, which had organised a massive protest in November 2016, demanding upkeep of the road infrastructure, unfortunately continues the fight till today, said its president B. Mayyaddi.
In a recent memorandum to elected representatives, including Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader, the samiti said hundreds of students attending government primary and high schools and the Government Tool Room and Training Centre walk in the area risking their life amid movement of heavy vehicles that struggle to negotiate crater-ridden roads.
While shoulder drains are filled with silt, some of the industries have closed the drains in front of their units aggravating flooding problem, Mr. Mayyaddi said. Absence of footpaths and rainwater-logged roads make pedestrians’ life miserable, he said.
Raising the issue of non-functional streetlights in many locations, the samiti said women and children feel unsafe while walking during nights. With wayside trees remaining untrimmed, heavy vehicles hitting tree branches and branches falling on people often occur. Uncontrolled growth of shrubs on road sides encourage habitation of reptiles and other creatures. There was lack of maintenance and upkeep of hygiene in the entire area, the samiti said.
It urged elected representatives to find a permanent solution to the woes of residents and the industries in the area.