Harshini Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Dec 19: Unscientific plan of the highway development in Brahmavar town, which is witnessing brisk development, has emerged as a major impediment for the progress of the town. Once the work of underpass is completed, the people have no clue where does the bus stand lie. Particularly the people going towards Kundapur from the taluk headquarters are at a loss in finding out the location of their bus stand. Specifically for the old and the children, crossing of the highway to catch a bus poses a herculean problem as barricades set up at different places, and auto rickshaws and two-wheelers which try to sneak in foil the effort of those who want to go to the other side of the road.

With the opening of the underpass, the people find it hard to come to terms with a strange situation, and the traffic police, who seem to have no idea how to control the people and vehicles, have allowed the situation to pass on its own. The highway authorities, who feel that their duty is over with the entrustment of work to contractors, are sitting pretty in their offices far away. Panchayat members say that even in emergency meetings, the officials play mischief by not even showing the plan of the road.

The officials seem to have forgotten that their planning has affectively split Brahmavar into two. This has hit the hotelliers and shopkeepers hard as their business has suffered. Buses bound for Barkur, Kokkarne etc have now found a temporary solution to the problem by picking up and alighting passengers on the service road opposite Buntara Bhavana.

The concerned seem to have conveniently forgotten the fact that giant vehicles move at high speed on both sides of the highway, endangering lives of people crossing the highway to catch buses or visit business concerns. Vehicles which try to overtake vehicles in front of them even sneaking in small spaces, pose grave danger to the lives of people, who have been compelled to wait for hours on end to be able to reach the other side of the road for reaching their destinations.

The danger is very grave for people who want to take roads to Handadi, Beloorjaddu and Bankers Colony here. Although several people have lost their lives and limbs in a series of accidents, tragically no one has cared to take affective steps, the locals complain.

In addition, the contractors, in a hurry to finish works fast, have not been giving finishing touches to the road. They concentrate more on asphalting of the road. As such, two-wheelers often get stuck or skid in powdered stone patches.

There are no diversion boards here, and no one cares for the sign boards. Those which have been installed have bent towards the ground and arrow marks are showing wrong directions, to the bewilderment of visitors.

Buses coming to the town from the direction of Hebri offload passengers halfway, and leave them to fend for themselves thereafter. Because of shortage of space in Brahmavar bus stand and haphazard parking of buses, a number of buses pick and drop passengers at the auto rickshaw stand.

Although on the face of it, the highway appears to be alright, the highway including service road between Brahmvar and the town is a three-lane road. Although survey work for extending service road on the other side has been completed, road work has not yet been taken up. Only a few seem to have taken notice of this situation and taken a decision to carry on with following it up, whereas many have just overlooked this lacuna. There is no road, after the service road reaches opposite the private school. here. From that point, the road fades, and an underground drain appears in its place. Because of growth of shrubs, even road margin is not visible.

President of Varambally gram panchayat here, Nityananda B R, says that buses can directly take service road, arrive at bus stand and return by the same road and reach the highway near Dharmavara if divider is provided at the highway near Mahesh Hospital. This also to some extent, solves problems faced by people coming from the direction of Kundapur. But sign boards will have to be properly set up for the people to rightly identify them and take suitable action.

But this may take time, as the service road, which appears non-existent as of now, may take long time to be levelled and developed. People and organizations are continuing with their struggle to materialize this dream, hoping that it will be realized.

At a nutshell the traffic system at Brahmavar has become a labyrinth of confusions. Officials of highway department are responsible to provide a solution to the problem. If they respond promptly and throb to the needs of the people after considering all the practical problems, a beautiful, problem-free Brahmavar can emerge.