Mangaluru: J R Lobo visits Saripalla, says culvert to be ready in a month
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)
Updated
Mangaluru, Jul 25: Hours after daijiworld highlighted the troubles faced by the residents of Saripalla where a culvert has collapsed and road heavily damaged, MLA J R Lobo inspected the spot and assured that the culvert would be rebuilt and be ready within a month. The culvert had collapsed due to heavy rain.
He said that a temporary way has been provided through a private property and the work on the culvert has already started. He clarified that only light vehicles can ply on the temporary road. A corporation official said that the culvert work would cost nearly Rs 4 lac.
The MLA responding to the requests of the locals also assured that he would release funds for the construction of a concrete road from Saripalla to Umikan.
Local corporation member B Prakash Alape, bus owner Valerian Lobo, Naveenchandra Suvarna, Sarosh D' Souza and others were present.
Exclusive Report
Mangaluru: Saripalla residents face harrowing time with collapse of culvert, poor road
Meryick D'Silva
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 25: A culvert connecting the whole of Kulshekar to Saripalla surroundings has collapsed due to heavy rain and the repair work has been stalled from past one week, leaving the people, especially students in a quandary.
There are more than 2,000 people residing in this area and at present bus service has stopped and people are facing a lot of trouble as they have to walk at least 3 to 4 km in the rains to come to the Kulshekar highway to catch a bus. The one bus plying from State Bank to Saripalla has got stuck on the other side of the road and has not been moving from one week. Somehow, no one seems to have bothered about it.
The school kids and the elderly are especially facing the problem as they have to move across the long and narrow slab of stone to cross from side to the other. A temporary way has been created for bikes and cars to move. Heavy vehicles like buses and trucks have no other way to reach Saripalla area.
Emilia Pinto, a resident of Kannagudda, Saripalla said, "This is the only way we can access the main road and we are old. How can we walk across such a narrow stone? How long do we have to wait?"
The locals blamed the corporator and said that when he was approached about the problem, he just placed some sand bags and left. "Who will be responsible if children or anybody falls?" they ask.
Speaking to daijiworld, area corporator B Prakash said, "Last Friday (July 17) due to heavy rains, both the slabs of the drainage collapsed. A year ago only one side had collapsed. The flow of rainwater has increased from the last few days and it is not possible for us to complete the construction work in time. People are going through really hard times. We have built a temporary road for light vehicles. Slabs are already ready but the heavy flow of water is delaying the installation work. We are trying to complete the work as soon as possible. After the slabs are placed, concrete will be laid on them and it might take minimum 10 days."
Moreover, the main access road from the Kulshekar to Saripalla has not been repaired from long. The road cannot be concreted because there is a railway tunnel underneath. There are huge potholes everywhere and daily commuters without blaming anyone are passing through the same road from many years. Bus drivers say that it is hard for them to drive as they find huge potholes everywhere.
Speaking about the road issue, corporator Prakash said, "The road belongs to the Central Railway department. The railway department is not giving us permission to concrete the road. Every year about 4 to 5 times we bring JCBs and level the mud road with additional mud. We do not have any other option. The locals also come and help in levelling the road."
"The road has remained in this same state from 33 years. The city corporation has not done anything so far. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel knows about the issue and even MLC Ivan D'Souza, who is also a member of the Southern Railway Zonal Railway Users' Consultative Committee, also knows about it. Both are trying to help us. We have to wait and see," he said.