Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal

Bantwal, Oct 7: The Vittal–Kanyana road has fallen into a severely dilapidated condition, prompting strong protests from local residents. Frustrated over the authorities’ inaction, locals expressed their anger by drawing a human-shaped outline on the road to symbolize a ‘dead body’ and placing a signboard protesting against officials and contractors.

The stretch of the Manjeshwar–Subrahmanya state highway at Bairikatte has become almost unmotorable due to numerous potholes and damaged sections. The road, which connects Vittal to Kanyana, Bayaru, Uppala, Anekallu, and Manjeshwar, has deteriorated to such an extent that vehicular movement has become extremely difficult.

Locals complained that even pedestrians are finding it hard to walk on the damaged road. A few years ago, interlocking tiles were installed on one side of the road, but those have now come off completely, worsening the situation.

In a symbolic act of protest, residents created the outline of a corpse on the road, implying that officials, engineers, and contractors responsible for the project are “sleeping” on their duties. A signboard placed nearby read, ‘Do not disturb — they are sleeping’, in a sarcastic message to the authorities.