Roads get flooded as PWD and civic agencies fail to clear shoulder drains before monsoon

Water puddles found on the first day of monsoon season on the Mulki-Moodbidri-Belthangady State Highway 70.

| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

When the Southwest Monsoon hit the Karnataka coast on Friday, there were reports of roads getting flooded and damaged across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.Rainwater flowed on roads and formed puddles as there was no escape route to the shoulder drains. The continued water accumulation would eventually damage the road surface, creating potholes and craters.For instance, potholes and craters on the Mulki-Moodbidri-Belthangady State Highway 70 near Kallabettu in Moodabidri were fixed in March-April. However, the very same location had water puddles on Friday as the public works department (PWD) failed to restore cross drains to drain the rainwater from the road surface to the shoulder drains.Similar was the case at Sunkadakatte on Surathkal-Bajpe-Panemangaluru SH 101 near Bajpe, as well as Mangaluru-Athradi SH 67 at Bajpe. The vegetation on the road flanks, too, was not cleared, aggravating the situation and inconveniencing road users.Lack of maintenance

Part of Surathkal-Panemangaluru State Highway 101 via Bajpe and Gurupura submerged in rainwater on the first day of the monsoon season itself, on Friday at Sunkadakatte near Bajpe in Dakshina Kannada district.