In Mangaluru’s fast-growing suburb of Vamanjoor, what was intended to be a critical infrastructural improvement has turned into a prolonged ordeal for local residents.
The widening and drainage works along National Highway 169, undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), have not only dragged on far beyond expectations but have now raised serious concerns about road safety, public health, and civic negligence ahead of the monsoon season. At the heart of the unrest lies an unfinished drainage project near the Vamanjoor check post, intended to mitigate rainwater runoff and prevent seasonal flooding in low-lying areas such as Amruthanagar. However, the execution has been sluggish and disruptive. Excavations for the drain have narrowed the service road so severely that the temporary gravel patch laid for vehicular passage has become unstable, making it treacherous for both motorists and pedestrians.
The incomplete road design has inadvertently created a traffic choke point. Due to elevation mismatches and the absence of proper side barriers, heavy vehicles are being forced to manoeuvre in a single direction, increasing the risk of accidents—especially during the rains when soil erosion could destabilise the temporary embankments. The resulting inconvenience is not merely logistical. Health risks have also surged. The half-constructed drainage channel is now collecting stagnant water, serving as a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes. Residents fear that without swift intervention, the area could see a spike in vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and malaria—an especially troubling prospect with the onset of the monsoon and the reopening of schools and colleges.
Civic frustration has reached a tipping point. The local citizens’ group has submitted formal complaints to the city’s Deputy Commissioner and the heads of NHAI and Mangaluru City Corporation. Their appeal underscores the urgency of completing the project before seasonal rains exacerbate both public health and mobility concerns. Public transport, too, has been affected. City buses heading towards Amruthanagar have been forced to terminate routes at the check post due to the narrow and unstable stretch, leaving daily commuters—including students and elderly passengers—stranded. In a city that aspires to become more inclusive, efficient, and people-centred, such infrastructural negligence undermines the larger goals of equity and accessibility.
What this situation starkly reveals is the gap between infrastructure planning and execution, particularly in peri-urban zones. While highway expansion is a necessary step for economic growth and regional connectivity, ignoring last-mile usability and public safety derails the purpose entirely. Without an urgent course correction, such developments risk becoming symbols of civic apathy rather than progress. As Mangaluru pushes forward with its smart city ambitions and sustainable urban goals, the immediate need is not just building infrastructure, but completing it efficiently, equitably, and with full regard for human health and environmental integrity.
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