Potholes on the roads are another concern
Dust rising from the roads of Siruguppa taluk lands on street food, shop windows, and makes commuters uneasy.
Anusha, a receptionist at the Vyshnavi Grand Hotel, Siruguppa said: “The situation has been like this for the past five years. Dust settles on the windows of the hotel. We often clean the windows to make our customers comfortable. We tried to complain several times, but either the officials weren’t in the office or they say they will look into the problem.”
Naik S, the owner of a fancy store, said the roads are uneven and potholed, posinga challenge for commuters. As they are the only way to nearby taluks, tractors and buses take the route, raising clouds of dust.
“We observe a lot of dust rising whenever vehicles travel, making it difficult for commuters to drive. We develop allergies if we sit in the dust. This makes it difficult for us to breathe. It is difficult for food stalls and restaurants to do their business,” he said.
The Observer noticed that a municipal corporation water tanker pours water on the road to settle the dust.
Shiva Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, said: “It’s dangerous for us to drive on these roads. We need to take care not to make customers uncomfortable.” Sometimes vehicles fallin the middle of the road, leading to accidents. The speed of vehicles has also slowed amid heavy traffic, making it extremely dangerous to travel. “But I have to drive my auto on these roads as this is my only source of income.”
Mareesh Kumar, who often travels to nearby taluks for work, said: “It has become common for us to deal with situations like this. If not about us, the government should think about the children. If something goes wrong on these terrible roads especially to schoolbuses, nothing can be undone. But who cares about our concerns? The officials only come to visit us at the time of elections and after that nothing changes.”
Municipal officials informed The Observer that they are awaiting the government’s reply on the issue.
Prem Charles, head of the Siruguppa City Municipal Corporation, said: “We have received people’s complaints. At present, we lackfunds …. The issue was brought to the attention of the higher administration. We are still waiting for a reply.”
Under the Karnataka Road Sector Policy, roads in villages should be well maintained and should be improved to an acceptable level. Karnataka has allocated Rs 300 crore to maintain and repair roads damaged during the monsoon.
According to the state, budget approval has been accorded for the improvement of rural roads at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The project will be completed in 2023. An amount of Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for improvement of road damage during the rainy season.
vindhya.p@iijnm.org
