M'lore's potential as the next growth engine is left stranded on account of terrible roads.
Even as the Siddaramaiah government is trying to figure out why global investors seem to have lost interest in the state, it is yet to dawn on the powers-that-be that growth strategies cannot be Bangalore-centric anymore, and that districts other than Bangalore Urban, as well as Tier II and II cities have the potential to be the next growth engines.
The coastal region is thought to be the second growth engine for the state, particularly Mangalore due to the excellent social and physical infrastructure it enjoys, but the atrocious condition of approach roads to the area have left its potential unrealised.
Mangalore is connected by three national highways, airport and seaport, is a storehouse of high quality human resources and is a fine city with modern living standards and quality night life, but all the four ghat roads including Shirady (from Hassan-Bangalore) –National Highway 75(formerly 48), Agumbe (Shimoga)- NH 166 Charmady (Chikmagalur) and Sampaje (Mysore-Madikeri) are in a dilapidated condition. The scenic Coastal National Highway 66 (formerly 17) connecting Mumbai-Mangalore too is in a terrible shape as it enters Karnataka at Canacona, about 12 km from Karwar and gets worse closer to Mangalore.
The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has made a number of appeals to the government to improve the roads leading to the district from all directions, but things have remained the same.
“The standard answer we get every time for the bad roads is heavy rain in coastal areas, but I do not understand how roads in Kerala and Goa that brave the same volume of rains as Mangalore, are perennially good,” Bawa points out.
Religious tourism takes a beating
It is not just the trade and industry that are suffering, but also the religious tourism circuit.Wellknown shrines have recorded 25-30 per cent fall in number of visitors this season.
“All these shrines had to be approached only after crossing the four passes from Bangalore, but the bad roads have reduced transport in these sectors to minimal,” said Srinivas Tantry, spokesperson for the temple management association.
The sources in KSRTC also confirms that their schedules towards Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya, Kollur and Udupi are running half empty.
Former minister of Muzrai, Srinivas Poojary told dna that the temple trustees had complained to his department many times, but the repairs to roads could not be undertaken due to continuous rains since May 21.
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