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Time of India
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Delay in RUB work causes traffic bottlenecks in city
1 2 Mangaluru: The long delay in opening the twin railway underbridges (RUB) at Mahakalipadpu in the city is causing severe traffic snarls on the Pumpwell bypass road, the main entry point to Mangaluru city. The Palakkad division of the Southern Railway has already completed the pushing of all the four concrete boxes. However, the Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) could not complete the concrete roads on either side of the RUBs. The MSCL authorities say that the work can be started only if the Railways complete the laying of the pipeline to clear the water at the site. A series of protests were held seeking the authorities to complete the RUB work at Mahakalipadpu ever since the road from Jeppu to Jappinamogaru was closed to facilitate the RUB work. The Rs 50 crore 4-lane RUB project was initiated on March 29, 2021, by the then MP of Dakshina Kannada Nalin Kumar Kateel and Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath. Currently, all vehicles from Kerala, Ullal, Konaje, Mudipu, and other places enter Mangaluru city via Pumpwell bypass road, leading to traffic snarls during peak hours. Once the RUB at Mahakalipadpu is commissioned, the traffic density on the Pumpwell bypass stretch will reduce considerably. DYFI Dakshina Kannada district secretary Santhosh Bajal said that a lack of willpower among elected representatives is a major hindrance that leads to delays in development works. He said an action committee formed to demand completion of the RUB at Mahakalipadpu has held several protests and submitted memorandums to the authorities. "We will hold a dharna in front of the office of MSCL or Railways if the work gets delayed further," he added. Tulunada Rakshana Vedike founder president Yogish Shetty Jeppu, who has been at the forefront of protests for the cause, called upon the public to, "Join hands and seek authorities concerned to expedite the work." MSCL general manager (technical) Arun Prabha KS said that water accumulates at the RUB site, making it difficult to take up the development of the road. "Railways will have to lay a 300m pipeline, but they have laid only about 120m so far. We have been working at the site and will expedite the work once the pipeline laying work is completed," he added.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Project to decongest Mangaluru Old Port remains incomplete even 4 years after launch
Construction of a coastal berth at Kasaba Bengre in an attempt to decongest Mangaluru Old Port and enhance coastal cargo movement remaines incomplete even four years after its launch. Foundation stone for the project, estimated to cost ₹65 crore, under the Sagarmala scheme was laid in December 2020 by the then member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel. Of the ₹65 crore, the Centre's contribution was ₹25 crore while ₹40 crore came from the government of Karnataka. With the delay in completion of the project, the cost has escalated to over ₹75 crore. Officials in the Ports Department attributed the delay to encroachment of the port land by private individuals that has crippled work on creating the back-end infrastructure for the berth, including warehouses and lounges. About 40 metre wide and 200 metre long plot has been encroached with the department being unable to undertake hard surfacing work for the project, they said. During the recent visit of the Secretary of the Ports Department, the district administration was told to get the encroachment removed. But, nothing has happened so far. If the encroachment is not removed, the scope of the project would have to be curtailed to the jetty part. The 350-metre-long jetty to accommodate about 70 cargo vessels of 5,000 DWT has been completed. The project included a commercial wharf, four-lane approach road, passenger lounge, two warehouse buildings, and capital dredging. While the four-lane approach road from Kulur-Bengre main road is almost complete, warehouses, passenger lounge and wharf are yet to be completed. The project also involved capital dredging of the navigation channel and the docking area at an estimated cost of ₹29 crore. While dredging of the channel up to a depth of 5 metres is over, work at the docking area near the jetty is yet to begin as traditional fishing boats are berthed in the area, officials said. Decongesting old port Officials said the project, if completed on time, would have decongested the Old Port where demand for berthing of fishing vessels is increasing. Movement of cargo to and from Mangaluru through Kulur-Bengre road is easier compared to transporting it to the Old Port. While almost all coastal cargo moving out of Mangaluru is destined for Lakshadweep, completion of a dedicated coastal berth would have opened up new avenues for cargo, they said.
