Highway traveling turns nightmarish

By CT reporter
MANGALORE: Monsoons have set in and as expected traveling on the National Highway 17 has become nightmarish.
Vehicles have to ply amid the four-laning works which are underway and the traveling from Suratkal to BC Road is just worth an experience of a lifetime. The innumerous ditches and potholes give rise to a feeling in long distance travelers to Mumbai and Kerala that they are passing through hell to reach their destination.
While one portion of the work on the Kulai-Baikampady stretch is complete, work on the other portion is yet to be completed. As the new road is in an elevated position than the old one, traveling has been made much more difficult, giving scope for accidents.
On the other hand, the either side of the highway from Kottara Chowki upto KPT Circle that has been dug up and leveled has made matters worse.
Even pedestrians are finding it difficult to move on the highway particularly near Kottara Chowki and BC Road where the fly-over works are underway. There is a general fear that the huge trenches laid for installing the fly-over pillars may claim at least some lives one day or the other.
Why so?
According to officials, the four-laning works of the highway is underway on a war footing. The BC Road-Suratkal stretch should be complete by December 2007.But, presently the progress made is just 30 per cent and the big question is whether the remaining 70 per cent of the works could be complete by then, that is within the next five months.
The main reason was the delay caused in the initial six to seven months period. Though the works had begun prior to previous monsoons, the works were suspended during the last monsoon. But, by the time the work recommenced, almost four months had passed since monsoon ended. In the meantime, the city corporation was also blamed for the inordinate delay in shifting the water pipelines enroute.
Though the Highway Authority has requested the contractors to do as much work as possible even during the rains, presently only the fly-over works are underway while much of the highway widening works could not be continued amid the rains.
Presently, some minor works are underway with the Highway Authority even putting up a board ‘Indina Novu Naalina Geluvu’ (Today’s pain for tomorrow’s happiness). However, the Authority should answer where would be the happiness, if the present problem poses threat to life itself.
The unexplained silence
Even as Highway traveling has become hell like, the blatant neglect of elected representatives in terms of making some alternate arrangements, has invited public wrath.
Presently, there is a growing demand from the public to consider this issue seriously and make some alternate arrangements after discussions with the highway authorities.
Though there are several alternate ways including change of route, fixing particular timings for the movement of heavy vehicles including lorries and tankers; the failure of the authorities to discus the pressing issue has only added salt to the injury.
Presently ‘mud-slinging’ is in full swing on the highway inconveniencing motorists as well as pedestrians Thee are many who observe that the permission to tanker sand lorries on this route has added to the problem.
The need of the hour is for the authorities and elected representatives to wake up from their slumber and find some solution to this problem.