Even after six months, MCC fails to link Babugudda

Mangalore, March 24: Six months have lapsed after Mangalore City Corporation concreted Marnamikatta Circle while concreting the stretch between Kankanady and Morgan's Gate. Since then residents of Babugudda had been complaining that the civic body had not connected a link road to their locality with the concrete road near the circle.

Chandrahas, a resident of the area, told The Hindu that earlier two-wheelers and autorickshaws could ply on the Babugudda-Marnamikatta Link Road which was one of the approach roads to Babugudda. Now, the road was more than six ft. below the level of concrete road. The corporation had left the approach to the link road by dumping mud sometime ago but that had not helped matters. The residents have to walk on the uneven approach to the link road.

Mr. Chandrahas said residents had been forced to use two other approaches to their locality one from the Mangalore Central Railway Station – Ullal railway track side and the other from the Attavar side.

Lokesh, another resident, said representations had been made to the civic body several times, but the issue had not been addressed.

Ganesh said raising the level of the link road to the level of the concrete road without the retaining wall might cause accidents. Vehicles and pedestrians could land in the small courtyard of a house nearby. Mr. Chandrahas said while raising the level of the link road the authorities should ensure that the slope was not too steep.

K.B.K. Vijayalakshmi, councillor, Attavar ward, said she was aware of the problem and was pursuing the matter with the corporation. She said there was a pave an interlock road to the link road. The approach to the link road would be done first before laying interlocks on the road. She said she would take it on priority list.

A senior engineer in the corporation told The Hindu that the issue had been taken up with the contractor who concreted the road. He had agreed a few days ago to take up the approach roadwork shortly.

The engineer said that the contractor has been told that his final bill for laying the road between Kankanady and Morgan's Gate would not be cleared unless he completed the approach roadwork.