Mangalore: Road Construction Delay Hastens Health Risks
By Keshava Murthy N V
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jan 15: Mangalore is enjoying an unprecedented spurt in the development works, thanks to the state and the union governments prioritizing the region, but the city is on the verge of facing a health hazard.
The slow completion of the road construction work in several parts of the city is threatening to put the health of citizens in jeopardy with the summer approaching fast. Physicians fear that if all the road construction works are not completed in time, the administration will have to seriously think of ways to safeguard the health of the city-dwellers.
Summer is not just another season for Mangaloreans - the whole life of the city gears itself to enjoy the summer; from the atmosphere of the region to the activity of the people, everything changes.
Usually summer, from May to June is the time for vacations. Children who are most vulnerable to the hazards caused by the non-completion of the mega projects, get on to grounds, or take bicycles on to the streets. Since road repair works involve cement, the raw materials used in cement production, all put together, may cause allergy to some of the children or people who inhale the particles may develop dust allergy or even permanent health problems.
“Widening of H 17 has been the dream of the people. But it does not mean that certain precautionary measures can be ignored. The dust kicked up at the scene is polluting the area, making the people of the vicinity vulnerable to fatal diseases like asthma, lung complications and other health problems. The place has also become unhygienic because of the accumulation of dust on the surrounding things,” says Ramakrishna P Poojary, president, Association of MRPL Displaced People, while speaking to Daijiworld.
Road repair and infrastructure development works are not invisible phenomena in the city, which have caused traffic diversions at many points. This has put the people of the city at great inconvenience, but it does not mean that they will keep tolerating the inordinate delay. It is the tourists and visitors to the city who are actual sufferers as the maps provided by official sources may go to waste.
The development of infrastructure has been taken up at strategic places in the city. The road repair work, stretching from Lourdes Central School to KSRTC bus stand has forced the Kankanady-bound commuters to pass through NH 17 and then to Pumpwell. This is just an example of the hardships caused by the traffic diversions.
The major problem faced by the city during summer is the scarcity of water. To prevent the dust from being kicked up, water has to be sprinkled over it. But from where do we get water to spray on repair work when we don’t have enough for our basic needs during the scorching summer?
Another major problem is of commuters who have to walk long distances to catch buses or any other public transport, since many bus stops have been demolished for the cause.
The ramifications of the inordinate delay have adverse implications in the long run. Mangalore is one of the cities that receive torrential rains. This would really make the life of the city miserable if the works are not completed on time. The potholes get filled with muddy water, creating innumerable problems to the commuters and pedestrians.
Nevertheless, it is also true that the development works need time to get completed. Even hands that carry out such works are helpless in completion assignments in a short duration, unless they compromise on the quality of the work. Yet, adopting advanced technology to speed up the work and planning of the possible alternatives way ahead of the commencement of the work would ensure a win-win situation for both government and the general public.