Kota directs NHAI to address concerns of Sanoor residents during widening of NH 169

Kota directs NHAI to address concerns of Sanoor residents during widening of NH 169

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, January 4, 2025: Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, on Friday assured residents of Sanoor in Karkala taluk of asking the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to address their concerns, including providing 1.6 km service road during the ongoing four-lane widening work of Mangaluru-Karkala stretch of National Highway 169 through the village.

Mr. Poojary visited Sanoor following a protest by residents two weeks ago, who had demanded construction of a retaining wall for the hill cutting and pressing for other demands.

He inspected the 4 km stretch of the highway from Pulkeri bypass in Karkala till Sanoor where residents had raised many concerns. NHAI Mangalur Project Director Abdulla Javed Azmi and representatives of the contractor were present.

Heddari Horata Samiti leader and former Sanoor Gram Panchayat president Narasimha Kamath regretted that the NHAI did not submit a proposal for the service road notwithstanding several site visits by people’s representatives and review meeting directions by the Deputy Commissioner in the last two years. While the highway was being given bitumen cover, 12 cross roads joining the highway remained in shambles and even 50 metres of these roads were not given bitumen cover, he said.

Though the NHAI had dismantled six bus shelters in the GP limits for widening the highway, it neither provided temporary shelters nor earmarked spaces for new bus shelters. While the Yuvaka Mandala playground’s retaining wall was demolished and about 70 metre-long new wall was constructed, another 40-metre wall was yet to be built, said residents Prasad Shetty, Prasad Poojary, Jagadish Shettigar, and GP president Yuvaraj Jain.

Mr. Poojary asked the panchayat to send the required proposals to his office immediately.