Mangalore: Local Residents Oppose Conversion of Kadri Park Road into Pathway
by Rajesh S
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network- Mangalore (SB)
Mangalore, Sep 22: The notification stating a decision to convert the road adjacent to the Kadri Park or Kadri Park road to a four-feet pathway by the district administration has signaled acquisition of 105-acre-land for tourism development. It is feared that over 400 residents of the surrounding area will be thrown to streets with the acquisition.
The notification issued by district administration through tahsildar of taluk says that the road adjacent to the Kadri park beginning from the circuit house and that joins national highway at Padua will be converted into a four-feet pathway. The notification which is published in state gazetteer also states that the existing road is not useful to public. But implementing notification means many residents of the surrounding areas will lose approach road to their houses.
The residents also inform the notification is one of the basic plan that will lead to the conversion of the area into a tourism spot. According to local resident, M M Joshi the project entails acquisition of certain areas of Nantoor, Kadri, Mundan, Kaibattal and Bejai. The area has a waterfall, a natural spring, monuments of historical imprtance such as Seetabavi, Parashurama dhuni, Pandavara guhe and Jogi mutt. Residents allege that to commercialize these historical places, district administration has planned to shift the residents of the area. If the notification is implemented, then nearly 200 houses will lose their approach road, they added.
Kadri area is well known for water. The pond in the area is one of the sources for water used by the tankers that supply water to the various areas in the city that face water shortage during summer, said Achyuta, a resident and added that the Jogi Mutt and Jumadi, place of worship of a spirit revered in Tulunadu in the area too will lose their approach road if the project is taken up, he added.
Swarnasunder, businessman from the area said that road approach is crucial during emergerncy. If the road is turned into a four-feet pathway, emergency services such as ambulance will not be able to ply, which means the notification sends a wrong message to public, he said alleging district administration as anti-people.
The residents under the leadership of eminent advocate Tony Fernandes have now formed an organization called Kadri Residents’ Association. Residents of the area under the association further have decided to fight against the anti-people decision of district administration. As a step towards opposition to the project, some of the residents have already submitted objections and also decided to submit a memorandum to Governor H R Bharadwaj, who is scheduled to visit the city.
Leader of opposition in Mangalore City Corporation K Harinath, Corporators D K Ashok and Roopa Bangera have also joined hands with the residents and expressed anger against the plan by district administration.
Madhusudan Gautham, an entrepreneur said that the road should not be converted into a pathway. The closing of an existing road is really a foolish decision, he adds. Tony Fernandes said that the association will fight till the district administration cancels the notification. The administration should try to understand the inconvenience caused to the residents of the area, if not we will take up a fight in a legal and peaceful manner.