Residents of Maroli, Tharethota, Ujjodi and surrounding areas in the city poured out their grievances caused due to the Nanthoor-Talapady national highway four lane work and demanded for laying service roads, during Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo’s visit to these areas on Wednesday.
MLA Lobo along with the National Highway Project Director Shriram Mishra and local corporators visited the areas affected by NH four-laning work and listened to the public grievances. Residents made a hue and cry over the removal of the roads connecting their areas as the land was acquired for highway work.
The roads are dug up and filled with mud to elevate the land for laying the four lane, causing inconvenience to public.
With the NH authorities not laying service roads to facilitate the public movement yet, the elected representatives faced the public wrath.
“There are over 2,000 houses on the one side of the road in Maroli area. But as the 18 ft wide road leading to these houses was dug up for NH work, hardly any vehicles can move on this mud road now. Autorickshaw drivers refuse to come to areas like Vasanth Nagar and Jaya Nagar,” complained Surendra Kamath, a resident.
More problems greeted the MLA and the NH project director when they visited Tharethota.
As the road leading to over 40 houses in this area has been completely dug up, the residents are forced to park their vehicles by the road side even at night. “Though there is a long route connecting houses, that road too allows only the movement of two wheelers and small cars. We lack a service road since three months. The condition is worse during emergency situations when elderly and children are to be taken to hospitals. Neither they can walk on this road nor they can be carried in vehicles,” complained Keshav Kadri.
Another resident Rita Fernandes felt that the authorities should have laid a service road prior to demolishing the existing roads for expansion work. “Water clogs in front of the house as the road has been dug up,” she said.
Responding to the complaints, NH Project Director Mishra said that service road for Maroli is a part of the project and the NH will lay it soon. The department will lay connecting roads wherever the roads have been dug for expansion soon after the monsoon, he said.