Parking of goods vehicles on Fr. Muller Road at Nandigudda negates the benefits of road widening

Notwithstanding the Mangaluru City Corporation widening the Fr. Muller Road between Koti-Chennayya Circle and Marnamikatte Circle amid constraints on tree felling, the benefits of road widening are being denied to road users as goods vehicles remain parked on the widened stretch around-the-clock

Notwithstanding the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) widening the Fr. Muller Road between Koti-Chennayya Circle and Marnamikatte Circle amid constraints on tree felling, the benefits of road widening are being denied to road users as goods vehicles remain parked on the widened stretch around-the-clock.

Fr. Muller Road was widened into four lanes between Kankanady Old Road and Koti-Chennnayya Circle about four years ago, while its stretch between Koti-Chennayya Circle and Marnamikatte Circle was not made four lanes because of land constraint. Because of the narrow stretch of the road, the area continued to witness frequent mishaps, although minor ones.

While the MCC had planned to cut down about 30 fully-grown trees on the stretch to make the stretch four lanes, environmentalists approached the National Green Tribunal’s Southern Bench in Chennai, objecting to the felling of trees.

The jurisdictional Tree Officer however informed the tribunal that he had not given permission to cut the trees. The officer said a number of local residents too had opposed axing of the trees contending that an alternative road passing through the Nandigudda crematorium was available. As the officer had not given permission for felling of trees, the NGT dismissed the application.

While the litigation was on, the city corporation widened the road to the extent possible, even by building retaining walls at some places on the left hand side of the road.

Ashraf Siddique, a regular commuter on the stretch, regretted that a few goods vehicles remain parked on the widened stretch of the road between Nandigudda and Marnamikatte around-the-clock. Some other vehicles remain parked on the opposite side too thus virtually negating the benefits of widening the stretch.

The heavy traffic movement on the road connecting the Mangaladevi Temple thus gets squeezed into two lanes at this location creating a traffic bottleneck often, Mr. Siddique said.