Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/SP)

Udupi, Jan 2: Although this district wants to be on fast lane of progress, and various projects have been in the pipeline, slow pace of their execution has been hindering plans of faster growth. Karavali underpass project that has emerged as a major eyesore for the city, has also been contributing to traffic blocks and slow traffic, apart from accidents.

Karavali Bypass happens to be the main entry point into the city from the direction of Kundapur. Thousands of people use this road to go to various destinations and to come back. Because of painfully slow pace of work, this project has proved to be a nightmare to the citizens since the last several years.

As per information collected by RTI activist, Vinay Shetty, the underpass is being built at a cost of Rs 18.68 crore and Rs 4.77 crore out of this has been spent already. As per the original plan, this project should have been completed by December this year. As the work had come to a standstill on account of funds crunch faced by the company for sometime, the deadline has been extended to May 31, 2018. Project director of National Highway Authority, Samson Vijay Kumar, says that 60percent of work has been completed and as work is progressing briskly, there will not be any problem in meeting the deadline.

People coming into the city either from Mangaluru or Malpe have to pass this underpass before reaching the main entry. This junction has already witnessed several accidents. Pedestrians and bicycle riders have found a short cut to obviate this problem by using the gap in the underpass. At the time of the visit of the then President, Pranab Mukherjee, on June 18 last, the underpass had been temporarily asphalted for the convenient of his travel to Sri Krishna Math. Some argue that this underpass project is unscientific and it is being executed in a wrong location.

Convener of Karavali Bypass Nagarika Samiti, Bannanje Babu Ameen, said that the work of this underpass had remained stagnant for long. He blamed the central government and Navayuga Infrastructure company for the delay, duly pointing out that vehicle users are compelled to take a detour of a kilometre to enter Udupi because of the delayed execution of the project. He urged local MP, Shobha Karandlaje, to take the matter seriously. He also criticized officials for digging the road at various spots to lay pipeline and wondered why the engineers did not use their common sense in time to lay pipeline and other basic facilities before laying the road. He expressed his reservations about the project getting completed by May 31 next.

A look at the present state of the project convinces one that Babu Ameen is right. The major works one comes across here is of digging the road and filling mud into holes. The city is gearing up for Paryaya function being held during January, and the tourists are sure to feel the pain of problems created by this project. National Highways Authority is expected to give further impetus to this project and relieve people from the ordeals they are going through at present.