Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Apr 26: The state government has approved a major project worth Rs 67 crore to replace overhead electricity cables with an underground cabling system along the world-famous Mangaluru Dasara procession route.

For decades, the overhead power lines posed a significant technical challenge and safety hazard during the annual Dasara celebrations. The towering tableaux and chariots in the procession would frequently encounter these wires, forcing authorities to cut power supply across several parts of the city for safety. This caused considerable inconvenience to the public and local businesses.

Representational image

Recognizing the severity of the issue, the management of the Kudroli temple had submitted a special request to the government through Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader.

Padmaraj R Poojary, treasurer of the Kudroli temple, stated that U T Khader played a pivotal role in securing approval for the project. He treated the matter as a point of prestige for Mangaluru, maintaining constant communication with the energy minister to ensure the large-scale plan was sanctioned. With the tender process now complete, the project has been given the green light to commence.

Temple authorities expressed their gratitude to chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, Speaker U T Khader, energy minister K J George, District In-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLC Manjunath Bhandary, and MESCOM Chairman Harish Kumar for their support in launching this historic initiative.

Once completed, the project will ensure smooth processions without the fear of electrical accidents. It will also resolve frequent power outages caused by falling trees during the monsoon and enhance the aesthetic appeal of Mangaluru by removing the web of overhead wires from its streets. Work on the project is expected to begin shortly.