Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (JD)

Udupi, Sep 24: In a startling incident, a speeding car crashed into the first-phase drinking water pump house belonging to Udupi city municipality in Ishwar Nagar, Parkala, around 1 am. Fortunately, the staff member sleeping inside the pump house at the time miraculously escaped unharmed.

The front of the car was completely wrecked, and the pump house sustained significant damage. The incident has highlighted the negligence of authorities, as there are no safety barriers or warning signs near the pump house on the national highway. Additionally, no signboard indicates the old road ahead, adding to the risk in this area.

The pump house is currently being used by a private party from Manipal. Construction work, which involved digging up the road near the pump house, was left incomplete without properly closing the road, adding to the danger. Although local legislators had recently visited and filled some potholes, they have since reopened, posing a hazard to commuters.

Notably, this is not the first accident in the area. On the day of Krishna Janmastami, two cars were involved in an accident in front of the same pump house. Now, before memories of that incident could fade, another car has crashed into the structure. The vehicle in this latest incident bore an Udupi registration.

There is no proper signage directing vehicles to use the old road or the new one, and the pump house lacks an adequate protective barrier. With residential homes nearby, locals are demanding the construction of proper safety fences around the area to prevent further accidents.