I would like to share a recent incident when I had to attend a function with my son in Surathkal one night. On the way back to Mangaluru, it started raining. In this 20 minutes I had my heart in my mouth.
Firstly, there was no street lights in few places. And even if it was there, there was hardly any visibility. With the car headlight and the light from the cars on the opposite side of the road, I managed to somehow drive with total caution and fear. I almost hit few barricades that were kept in the middle of the road where there was no light. So please do not assume I am blind.
To tell you the truth I couldn’t see the road and only because of the car in the front I managed. I thought all the people who were driving were just risking their lives like me because the corporation just feels people will manage with whatever is given to them. Then I just realised that we don’t get basic necessities like proper lighting which infact has to be put up with our own money which we pay as taxes. Just because few people want to hoard our money, build big houses and send their kids abroad for studies we are denied these facilities.
The drive from Surathkal to Mangaluru was indeed scary. Just imagine the state of the truck drivers and the bus drivers who have to be on roads continuously.
Also we assume Mangaluru is heading towards being a Smart City. This we can see by the roads that are being dug and the unfinished roads that we have to drive on. The only few concrete roads that were laid too are being dug up to lay pipes. Who are these engineers who plan all this? Which planet are they from? Don’t they know the future requirements. Who will take responsibility for the back aches that we get after riding on these roads? The amount of money that we spend on the car repairs? The cough/dust allergies that we get?
We somehow manage to manoeuvre our vehicles around these pits, blow our horns and race with the other cars and move on. The speed breakers are all without proper markings, the potholes, the roads where garbages are dumped and when will the corporation take proper measures?
Have we just taken it too lightly and decided to put up with everything? The work that are being carried out are on the main roads. With increased number of vehicles in Mangaluru, a small hamper causes big traffic blocks. These works that are being carried out on main roads are being completed in their own sweet time. We do not see work done after 6.00 pm nor on a Sunday. Why cant these work be carried out 24/7 and completed at the earliest?
The question is are we putting up with everything with a chalta hai attitude or should we question it?
