PWD inefficiency costs life, limbs

The department undertook the renovation work of the four-year old road a year ago after repeated pleas from residents. But the progress of the renovation work leaves much to be desired.

The pace of work, which picks up for a day or two after protests by residents, slackens within a few days. The inefficiency of the PWD has not just inordinately delayed the renovation work but also the bad state of the road has led to numerous accidents.

Since the road is also an inter-state road that leads to Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, vehicular movement is quite dense on the stretch. Moreover, the road is just 25 feet wide and allows two-way traffic.

On October 13, a 16-year-old student Shashikiran was killed on the spot when his cycle crashed into a bus on the stretch. The accident has outraged the public who hold the PWD responsible for the death of the boy.

Activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike too staged a protest against PWD officials at Gautamnagar. A junior engineer, who using rain as an excuse, said the department was waiting for the end of the rainy season to complete the renovation work was taken to task.

“When people are struggling for water due to the lack of rains, the excuse offered by the junior engineer is an indicator to the inefficiency of the department,” residents pointed.

The road has now been levelled with just crushed stone making it extremely difficult to drive on and tyres of vehicles get damaged frequently, they added.

Despite all these problems, the PWD is yet to get its act right, residents lamented.