Crumbling road infrastructure affects Baikampady Industrial Area, one of the oldest in Karnataka

Spread over 560 acres, housing over 650 medium, small and micro industries, and employing over 30,000 people, the road infrastructure in the half-a-century-old Baikampady Industrial Area in Mangaluru has been crumbling, thanks to the apathy of governments.

Spread over 560 acres, housing over 650 medium, small and micro industries, and employing over 30,000 people, the road infrastructure in the half-a-century-old Baikampady Industrial Area in Mangaluru has been crumbling, thanks to the apathy of governments.

The zeal shown by the State and the Union governments in establishing new industrial estates is not visible in the maintainence and upkeep of already established industrial estates that have been contributing to the national economy immensely, according to industrialists. Established in 1967 by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), the Baikampady Industrial Area is located to the north of Mangaluru and spread between the Phalguni (Gurupura) and Baikampady.

N. Arun Padiyar, president of Kanara Industries Association, the umbrella organisation of the industries in Baikampady Industrial Area, said right from the main entry road at the junction with Kochi-Panvel NH 66 at Baikampady, almost all roads in the area are full of craters and potholes. Except concreting about nine km interior roads with under critical infrastructure fund, other roads, including Jokatte Road and ODC Road next to Phalguni river, remain in deplorable condition.

On the other hand, shoulder drains and main drains in the area have not been desilted for many years obstructing free flow of rainwater that resulted in industrial units getting flooded last year and this year. The KIA took up some desilting work through contributions from members this year, thus reducing flood impact, Mr. Padiyar said.

He said the KIADB does not improve the infrastructure saying the government does not provide funds and the board does not have resources to spend on older industrial estates. KIA members pay property tax and solid waste management cess to Mangaluru City Corporation, but the corporation says KIADB was yet to handover the area to MCC and hence, it could not undertake development works. The proposal to form Baikampady Industrial Township Authority, an autonomous body to manage the area, has moved nowhere, he regretted.

KIADB officials said the board has executed absolute sale deeds for 95% of the industries in the area and hence, does not get much revenue to maintain the area. About ₹12 lakh collected from industries towards maintenance was just enough to provide street lighting and other sundry expenditure.

On the other hand, MCC appears to be clueless with a senior functionary saying the industries were paying property tax since they need trade licence from the corporation. While the annual collection was about ₹4 crore, unpaid dues amounted to about ₹7 crore. MCC could maintain Baikampady Industrial Area only if the government hands over the area.