Udupi: Going Beyond Kallianpur on National Highway? Brace up for Roller-Coaster Ride
Report and pics from Kevin Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Sep 13: A trip on the National Highway stretch between Kallianpur-Santhekatte near here to Sastan is sure to send your blood pressure soaring, bones totally shaken and send your senses for a toss. This part of the road can compete for being recognized as the 'Road of Shame', like the 'Hall of Fame'.
The most harried road users here are the pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. The two-wheelers jump in and out of pot holes and craters like spring board divers, leaving the riders worried about the prospects of some parts of the vehicle or spectacles falling off or the vehicle tyres getting burst. If they are not careful, express buses and trucks might just graze past them, anointing both the vehicles and their riders with thick muck, free of cost.
The pedestrians have a more severe problem on hand. The roadside margin, on which they used to walk, has become a favourite ground for the vehicles to tread, as the roads are dotted with huge craters. Jumping vehicles go out of control of drivers, terrorizing the pedestrians of crushing them under their wheels. The pedestrians too must necessarily carry an additional pair of dresses in a plastic cover, if they are to look respectable at their destinations.
The bus passengers have a jumpy ride and a chance to sit in the bus much longer, for the same fare. Be careful if you already suffer from dizziness, as the travel will leave you dazed! Twist of spinal chord, sprain in the lower back, heads hitting the side windows and nasty sound of the buses that jump in and out of craters like the cross country bike races you see, damaging your ears, leaving you thrilled, if you are left with the strength to enjoy it. You can be rest assured that you will be tossed around like a doll unless you determinedly cling on to rods inside the buses with both hands. Those of you, who have never travelled on a boat or ship in the sea, will surely enjoy travelling on bus on this stretch. Even the most turbulent waves in the sea may never toss the ship in the manner, buses get tossed out and in of these potholes which are larger than open wells and a little smaller than lakes.
The heavy vehicles that move erratically from side-to-side, in search of safe patches and avoiding potholes pose extreme danger for both the road users and passengers. The drivers struggle to stick to their seats and it need not come as a surprise if they are unable to see the pedestrians walking by the side of the road. A person who uses this road is sure to come across several vehicles that are stranded by the roadside, after developing multifarious problems.
Whenever the rain abstains and dry climate returns, the road gets covered by red dust, impairing visibility hugely. The vehicles get covered by so much dust and muddy water that they become unrecognizable once they cross this stretch. If you have cold, cough or problems relating to lungs, better avoid this road. If you take this road, your problems might almost surely get aggravated.