JOIN USThe condition of bridges built decades ago in the taluk is deplorable and they are waiting for a facelift.
The bridge, built across Bhadra backwaters to provide connectivity to Shivamogga, Tarikere, Menasooru and other villages way back in 1960, has developed cracks.
At some places, the iron rods are protruding from the bridge. If the bridge collapses, major connectivity will be lost.
Though the residents have been demanding the construction of a new bridge across Bhadra backwaters for the last several years, the demand has not been fulfilled yet.
The bridge connecting Muduba and Mandagadde in Shankarapura in the taluk gets inundated during every monsoon and disrupts the movement of vehicles for several days.
The piling up of twigs and driftwood in the water results in overflowing of the river and submerging of crops in the neighbourhood. The villagers have been urging the authorities to increase the height of the bridge.
A footbridge at Donisara in Seethooru Gram Panchayat in the taluk has washed away in the flood. Now, the residents have constructed a temporary makeshift bridge to cross the overflowing water body.
Meanwhile, the railings of the bridge at Hathooru have been damaged. The bridge connecting Gubbiga and Hallibail in Kunaja has been damaged in the rain.
Another bridge that connects Gaddemane and Muvalli in Aralikoppa village is crying for attention. The Mannina Kodige bridge at Muthinakoppa has collapsed and connectivity has been lost.
A culvert that was providing connectivity from Marati Camp to Umbalebail in Bairapura village has been washed away in the rain. A majority of the bridges built across small streams and rivulets do not have proper railings, thus risking the lives of motorists.
Residents in Narasimharajapura said that a majority of the bridges built by the PWD in the taluk are in dilapidated condition. The government should turn its attention towards rebuilding these bridges.
When DH contacted PWD AEE Ravichandra, he said, “The bridge built across Bhadra backwaters in Menasooru is in a deplorable condition. A proposal had been sent to the government to increase the height of the bridge at Shankarapura a few years ago.”