MANGALORE: The bridge constructed across Phalguni river at Gurupur on the Moodbidri-Karkala Highway (NH 13) is in a sorry state, with locals fearing that the bridge may collapse during the ensuing monsoons, if something was not done fast.
This is one of the oldest bridges in Dakshina Kannada district and was constructed in the year 1923. Though there had been a demand since long to construct an alternate bridge, the demand had been a cry in the wilderness. In case the already dilapidated bridge collapses, the vital direct link between Mangalore and Moodbidri would be cut off, inconveniencing the locals, office goers and the students to a great extent.
There had been an occasion earlier when there was some repair work on this bridge and the locals had a tough time when vehicular traffic on the bridge was banned.
When local gram panchayat and taluk panchayat elected representatives are questioned they while highlighting the need for an alternate bridge say they are totally unaware if there was any scheme at the official level. In the absence of political will power it is no surprise that the elected representatives my wake up from their slumber only when the bridge collapses some day in the future. If legislator Ramanatha Rai, years ago had promised an alternate bridge, during the previous elections, the present district minister Krishna Palemar had promised top priority towards the construction of Gurupur bridge. But as of now it seems, the leaders have totally forgotten their promise.
If the iron railings used for the bridge have been robbed by the scrap traders, the pillars of the bridge are dilapidated. No maintenance work of this bridge had been undertaken since the past several years.
Here one may recall that the vehicular traffic on the NH 13 had been diverted on the Kaikamba-Bajpe-Maravoor route, which was a round-about route, when there was landslide at Kettikal some time back. If this was the problem faced then, one would shudder to imagine the consequences in the event of the collapse of the Gurupur bridge, when traffic on the route is at its highest.
In the backdrop of all these problems, locals have begun making a vehement plea to the authorities to construct an alternate bridge close to the existing one or at the place where a survey has been conducted by the authorities..
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