Talapady-Kasaragod highway; traveler’s nightmare

Team Udayavani, Aug 24, 2018, 5:57 PM IST

Kumble: Talapady-Kasaragod road is completely worn out. The video of vehicles moving at snail’s pace has gone viral on social media. The road in front of Kumble temple, Arikkadi, Mogral, Koppala, Mogral Puttur, Chowki, Adkattabailu, Karandadkadu and other places resembles more to the holes in a cheese. The wide variety of potholes on the road give rise to vehicle queues that last for hours together. This usually results in arguments and fights. The public’s help is indispensable to pull out small vehicles stuck in potholes.

The drama of repair

In the guise repair work, gravel has been dumped beside the road. At some places, the road with potholes is being dug up through land hoes. But, if one place is repaired, new potholes take birth at some other stretch of the road.

Traveler’s nightmare

Traveling along this road is a challenge in itself. Those seated on the last rows of the bus, usually end up suspended in the air during their journey through this terrain. The bouncing buses not only damage themselves but also inflict pain on their passengers. The pothole rich road makes sure that the buses can never maintain their time schedule. Most travelers have now given up the road route for good and instead prefer to travel via train. But, this is possible only for a limited period of time.

Even more delay in four laning

The previous and current government failed to acquire land required for four laning within the required time period and consequently has led to the cancellation of the tenders. As of now, now work has been initiated to widen the road. The stone markings done by the revenue department along private properties which were supposed to be acquired have disappeared without a trace. Yet, the government assures that the work will continue in December.

But, the public fears that if the potholes along the road are not repaired with haste, it will lead to even more accidents along this route and in the coming days may completely stop all vehicular movement. Therefore, instead of giving the lame excuse of the monsoon, the responsible representatives of the people and PWD officials, now at least need to wake up take action to provide an alternate solution to the problem.