Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Jan 3: Buildings are being constructed in the city without taking any measures for the safety of the public. In one case three high tension, overhead electrical wires were joined together by plastic sheet in order to make way for the construction of a new building. The concerned officers get hefty bribe and do not bother to even check the safety measures around the construction site, before giving the builders, the license for construction.

Near the old Geetanjali movie theatre in the city, three wires that have gone out from the transformer were bound in a plastic sheet in order to make way for the work of construction of a new building in the vicinity. Though the building construction is over, the plastic covering that was put on the wires was not removed by the respective builder. On Wednesday, January 2, this plastic sheet got melted due to the heat of the sun and the high tension wires touched each other and the sheet caught fire and the pieces of the plastic sheet were falling on the pedestrians and vehicle drivers. The public were repeatedly cursing the city municipality officials, who have given permission to construct a building by the side of the main road, without leaving the required space from the road as per the rules.

Earlier, the owner of this very building has stopped building a compound wall in total violation of the rules, when the local people had staged a protest.

The public and locals took to task the fire service personnel who arrived half an hour late to the spot where the plastic sheet was burning on the high tension wires. The public are expressing their rage that at many places in the city, buildings are being constructed without following any rules. Certain buildings are constructed in such a way that it is not possible for the fire service vehicle to reach the spot itself. This new building near the old Geetanjali theatre is a witness to such blatant violation of construction rules.

If commercial buildings are built by the roadside without providing parking space for the customers, the road gets blocked as the customers park their vehicles on the road itself. With the absence of footpath, the pedestrians have to literally risk their life while walking on the road. This issue is rampant throughout the city. Hope at least now the concerned officials will awaken and take necessary action on the violators.