Mangaluru: Former MLA Abhayachandra Jain alleged that the sand mafia and negligence of the district administration have caused damage to the Maravoor bridge.
Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, June 15, Abhayachandra said, ” Due to the negligence of the district government and the sand mafia, the bridge that connects the city to the Mangaluru International Airport has been damaged. In the name of dredging, excessive sand has been removed from the bridge’s surrounding areas with the use of a backhoe. Even after being informed, the representatives of the people and the district government remain silent.”
Further he said, “Before laying the foundation for a new bridge to replace the old Maravoor bridge, officials should take the necessary precautions to avoid disasters. There is now concern that a similar incident would occur at the Maravoor dam and railway bridge. The sand mafia has been operating behind our backs, right in front of our noses.
. Earlier it took 20 minutes to reach the airport now after the incident it will take one hour.”
Former district Youth Congress president Mithun Rai also demanded that the incident be investigated by the deputy commissioner immediately.
Congress leader AC Vinayaraj, Shalet Pinto, Anil Kumar, and others were present.