Tallur: The inner road connecting Kotebagilu village to Rajadi Dam has deteriorated completely, leaving residents in a state of severe distress.
There are over 50 houses along this 1.5 km stretch, and more than a hundred vehicles ply this route daily. Students, women, and the elderly are finding it extremely difficult to commute.
No asphalt for 20 years
About 20 years ago, a 500-meter asphalt stretch was constructed on the road leading from Kotebagilu to Rajadi Dam, while the remaining portion was just laid with gravel and soil. However, even that has worn away now, leaving the road completely ruined. Four years ago, gravel and mud were dumped on the road, but the rainwater has washed away the soil, leaving loose gravel exposed across the entire stretch and disrupting traffic.
School vehicles refuse to ply
In this area with over 50 houses, the entire road gets waterlogged during the monsoon, turning virtually into a river.
During this season, school vehicles and auto-rickshaws hesitate to enter the stretch due to the high risk of getting stuck. Consequently, family members are forced to escort their children all the way to the concrete road at Kotebagilu to drop them off. Since this is a high-budget road project, memorandums have been submitted to both the MLA and the MP, but no action has been taken so far. Locals demand that instead of carrying out temporary repairs by dumping gravel and soil, the authorities must completely reconstruct the road to provide a permanent solution.
Lack of drainage system aggravates problem; urgent action needed
Due to the absence of a proper drainage system, rainwater flows directly onto the road, flooding agricultural fields and reaching the doorsteps of houses. Since even the existing drains are not maintained, the problems are bound to worsen in the upcoming monsoon. If the local administration takes immediate action to clear the wild growth and weeds inside the drains, potential hazards during the rainy season can be averted.
Construct a permanent road
More than 50 families depend entirely on this road. Instead of conducting minor repairs, a brand-new road should be constructed to facilitate smooth movement of traffic. - Shivaram, Local resident
- Vijayakumar Hiremath