Mangaluru: With Mangaluru witnessing heavy rains in the past few months, roads in most of the wards of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) were destroyed, making it very difficult for motorists to travel. Many organisations and political parties questioned the inaction of the MCC as well as other departments in keeping the roads in good condition. Potholes can be seen on most of the major and interior roads in the city.Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath held a meeting of MCC officials and directed commissioner Ravichandra Nayak to take up appropriate measures. “Due to heavy rain within the jurisdiction of the MCC, roads in several areas of the city deteriorated completely. There were incidents where vehicles met with accidents due to potholes, causing inconvenience to the public. Despite the heavy rain, temporary repair work must be undertaken immediately,” he told officials.The MLA also pointed out the garbage problem in the city, calling it severe. “Complaints are coming from several places like near the Gandhinagar school and Maroli bus stand. Mangaluru, once a brand for cleanliness across the country, now has garbage littered on its roads. There are also complaints from the public about streetlights not functioning properly,” the MLA said, and urged that these issues be taken seriously.Since the Congress govt came into power in the state, no funds were allocated for the development of the MCC, the MLA rued. “The relief funds expected from the state govt for the disasters caused by natural calamities over the past two years were also not received. How will urgent projects in the constituency proceed under these circumstances? The Congress govt has not only failed in its administration of the state, but has also completely neglected Mangaluru,” he alleged.The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Urwa Store unit held a protest recently, demanding the repair of potholes on the road. DYFI district president BK Imthiyaz said that roads in many parts of the city are filled with potholes, leading to accidents and injuries among the youth. He criticised MCC officials for their negligence and accused public representatives of neglecting their responsibilities. He expressed regret that people in Mangaluru are forced to take to the streets to demand the filling of potholes.DYFI activist Rajesh Kulal said that it has become difficult for pedestrians, and that the pothole-ridden, muddy road is causing hardship for children and women who have to traverse it.
