Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 19: Referring to reports published by Daijiworld on the alarming rise in road accidents in Dakshina Kannada, MLC Manjunath Bhandary has written to chief minister Siddaramaiah urging immediate repair and upgrading of rural, urban, state highway, and national highway roads in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
In his letter, the MLC pointed out that heavy rainfall this year coupled with dense traffic movement has left most roads in the region in a poor state, particularly the national highways and service roads. The damaged condition has led to several accidents, fatalities, and injuries, which have been widely reported in the media.
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Citing data from Daijiworld, Bhandary highlighted that Dakshina Kannada recorded 702 accidents until early September this year, with 122 deaths, 815 injuries, 44 pedestrian deaths, and 63 fatalities involving two-wheeler riders.
The MLC specifically drew attention to State Highway 52, connecting Kundapur and Thirthahalli, spanning 93 km across Udupi and Shivamogga districts. He noted that the road has remained narrow for over four decades despite a sharp increase in vehicular traffic, leading to frequent accidents. The Kandeluru bridge built across the Varahi river in the 1960s is reportedly on the verge of collapse and needs reconstruction.
Bhandary appealed to the state government to either upgrade SH 52 to a four-lane state highway or convert it into a national highway with four lanes to ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents. He also stressed the need for tunnel roads in the Western Ghats, pointing out that routes such as Balehonnur Ghat, Agumbe Ghat, Shiradi Ghat, Charmadi Ghat, Sampaekatte Ghat, and Nagodi Ghat remain narrow and prone to frequent traffic jams, hampering connectivity to Bengaluru and beyond.
Highlighting the disparity in road development, the MLC said that under Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project (KSHIP III), with Asian Development Bank funding, several nearby highways have been upgraded to four lanes, while SH 52 has been neglected. He urged the government to seek funding from the ADB, the National Highways Authority of India, or through BOT (Annuity) model to finance the project.
Bhandary further stated that upgrading these roads would not only improve safety but also boost tourism in coastal areas, particularly in Kundapur, Byndoor, and temple-rich coastal stretches.
The MLC appealed to the chief minister to direct the concerned departments, including public works and rural development, as well as the national highway authority, to initiate repair and development works at the earliest in the interest of public safety in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.