Activists use potholes to stage protests

The local residents had an odd scene to watch on the road near the bus stop of the township.

Nityananda Olakadu, social activist and president of the Zilla Nagarika Samiti, staged a unique form of protest to express anger against official apathy towards infrastructure. The social activist condemned the poor condition of the national highway passing through Manipal. He swam symbolically, as he could not dip himself completely, but was able to gather a huge gathering around.

Olakadu was accompanied by another agitator Tharanath Mesta, who pretended to catch fishes in the water in the pothole and had a dead fish at the end of his stick.

Olakadu said that the administration is too lethargic. The administration is least bothered about the lives of commuters. The roads are so pathetic that patients who are taken to KMC, Manipal, via the roads die in the middle of the journey as the horrible condition of the roads do not permit the vehicles to ply safely. Every phase of driving or riding in the area is risky. Manipal is an educational hub and the stretch is an important road that countless pedestrians use and vehicles ply. The road which is an absolute farm field is filled with lot many potholes all through the stretch, he complained.

The road has been upgraded to a national highway but the repair works are also not taken up. The national highway process is very slow. Unless the real work begins, the tragedy continues, said the activist.

He demanded that concreting of the road should be undertaken immediately as the road would be usable. Moreover, depending upon the earlier poor quality work, the contractors should be blacklisted and the district administration should initiate measures to get the work done.