Pending flyover work incurs people’s wrath in Kundapur

The flyover project planned to ease traffic congestion at Shastri Circle, close to Gandhi Maidan, on NH 66 in Kundapur, has ended up incurring the wrath of an entire town.

The proof of public wrath lies in the many angry letters written to the officials, Prime Minister’s office and dozens of videos on the flyover uploaded on YouTube.

With the Pumpwell flyover now opened to traffic, the public’s ire has now shifted to the flyover project in Kundapur, which has been dragging on for the past 10 years.

According to the meeting held in NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) headquarters in New Delhi on July 10, 2019, Navayuga Udupi Tollway Private Limited (NUTPL) should have completed the flyover at Shastri Circle on January 31, 2020, and the vehicle under pass (VUP) by March 31, 2020.

The lives of many took a turn for the worst, when the NUTPL failed to complete the work within its first deadline. The work on flyover project not only threw traffic out of gear but displaced many petty vendors.

Shankar Ankadakatte, owner of a small shop, said the business in the area, once a commercial hub, was completely destroyed.

Today, there are only a few customers who visit the shops due to the dust arising from the muddy road, he added.

Another vendor Kishore Kundapur recollects that the previous monsoon had triggered utter chaos. The muddy water had stagnated on the road for days and had entered their shops in the absence of any drainage network. The diversions and the metal barricades placed on the road were confusing leading to a lot of accidents, he added.

Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje told DH, ‘’I will recommend the authorities to take stern action if the concessionaire fail to meet the deadline and complete the work by April. The work has remained incomplete for the last 10 years.”

Rastriya Heddari Horata Samiti member and leader Rajesh Kaveri said that the area was in chaos as the Company had completely failed to initiate any work. It will require at least one more year to complete the work.

Sources in NHAI said that the work was taken up and was in full swing. The team which was involved in Pumpwell flyover work too has joined the team in-charge of the construction of flyover at Kundapur and Koteshwar underpass.

The work is expected to be completed by April end.

The project commenced on September 5, 2010. The commercial operation date was December 12, 2017. The project is based on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) basis. On April 21, 2018, the work for electrification and underground drainage system was approved.