Pics: Aditya Aithal
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, Mar 7: Udupi District Citizens’ committee staged a unique protest of a living corpse over delay in Indrali Railway Bridge construction near Indrali Railway Bridge construction site on Friday, March 7.
In the protest, Nithyanada Volakad, convener, Udupi District Citizens’ Committee lying on a mortuary stretcher was carried from the Indrali Railway Bridge to the Hindu graveyard in Indrali.
Despite multiple protests by various organizations, the work remains incomplete, causing major inconvenience to commuters. Officials continue to ignore the issue, even though they frequently travel on the same deteriorating road. In response, the Udupi District Citizens’ committee staged a protest, demanding that the government complete the bridge construction and open it for vehicular traffic.
During the protest, Nithyananda Volakad, convener of the Udupi District Citizens’ committee, stated, "We have held several protests before, but this time, we chose the concept of a living corpse to highlight the severity of the issue. Many accidents have occurred due to the prolonged delay in bridge construction. Given the hardships faced by commuters, including school children, this form of protest is justified. Our demand must reach prime minister Narendra Modi and highway minister Nitin Gadkari for immediate action."
Vinaya Chandra Sasthan, secretary of Hosabelaku Ashrama, said, “Ambulances in Udupi struggle to navigate through traffic jams in this area, sometimes leading to patients losing their lives before reaching the hospital. School children also face serious risks while crossing the road and the ongoing road construction work has made peak-hour travel extremely difficult. The Indrali Railway Bridge project has been delayed for too long, it must be completed before the monsoon for the safety and convenience of commuters.”
The protest was attended by social workers Ganeshraj Saralabettu, Harish poojary, Sandeep Kalmadi, Rajendra, Sathish Kumar, Nithu, Yadhav Acharya, Ganesh Moodubettu, Urban Prakash and others.