Karkala; Sept 14: Addressing the gathering Jyoti Padmanabha, President of the Rotary club has demanded the immediate repair of the pothole-riddled main roads linking Ananthashayana temple to Bandimatha bus stand in Karkala.
He further said that authorities have blamed the heavy rains during monsoon for the untravelworthy shape of the roads. But in spite of carrying out repair works after the rain earlier, the condition of the road not only improved but also returned to the original state within few months, he said.
Keeping in mind the increased traffic flow, there was a proposal to widen the main road.
Some efforts in this direction were initiated by the then Deputy Commissioner P. Hemalatha in 2010, who walked along the road requesting shop owners and residents to part with the lands for a good cause.
Majority of the people, she said, willingly complied and road widening work started. But lack of support from the residents resulted in the roads and drains being partially dug up in places, hindering the flow of traffic as well as pedestrians. The recent heavy rainfall, she said, had worsened the quality of the road making it virtually unmotorable. More area is now covered by potholes than tarred surfaces along major stretches of the main road, causing great hardship to riders of two-wheelers and auto rickshaws. It’s a struggle for drivers to dodge the potholes.
The club organized an Awareness Campaign on August 13 to draw attention of the authorities to the sorry state of the roads. It also submitted a memorandum to the Karkala tahsildar and president of the Karkala Town Municipal Council.
When the club members interacted with the officials, they attributed the poor condition of the road to lack of cooperation from the people on either side of the road that have not yet parted with their land. The land acquisition should be done in a just and appropriate manner, the club said.
The authorities, she said, should ensure that the quality of roads adhered to the standards set by National Highway Authority of India and recommendations of Central Road Research Institute, keeping in mind the local weather conditions and the traffic flow.
The members of club with expertise in the fields concerned were willing to offer professional advice to ensure best quality of roads in the town, the release added.
