Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru Jul 16: Moolarapatna Bridge Action Committee staged protest here at the office of the district deputy commissioner on Monday, July 15, demanding to rebuild the Moolarapatna Bridge which had crashed last year due to heavy rains.

The committee warned that unless the collapsed Moolarapatna Bridge is built at the earliest, the committee will continue with its agitation programmes demanding for the restoration of the said bridge.

Addressing the protestors, senior advocate, B A Mohammed Hanif, said, "Due to excessive removal of sand from the base of its pillars, the bridge had collapsed during the last monsoon. It has been a year since the bridge became non-existent, but construction of a new bridge in its place has not yet started although it connects two taluks. We are deeply hurt as people’s representatives have not shown any interest or inclination to rebuild the Moolarapatna Bridge. They keep talking about Gurpur Bridge but they are silent on Moolarapatna Bridge."

Committee vice president, Jayanth, said, "After the collapse of the bridge, there has been a sharp decline in the number of students attending Muthur School. We demand for rebuilding the bridge as soon as possible for the convenience of the local people to travel to their destinations without much problem."

Meanwhile they led a protest march from police commissioner’s office to DC office.

On behalf of the committee, a memorandum was submitted to the district deputy commissioner, Sasikanth Senthil, duly urging him to give concrete assurance about the early construction of Moolarapatna Bridge.

Committee members, Dayanand Shetty, Ganesh Poojary, Mohammed Ansar, Bava and others were present.