Featured image: These pictures have been forwarded by CLN Readers, which include the following areas; Kadnoor Bridge, Kadanga, Mythadi – Virajpet Madikeri road, Bethri and Napoklu.
Coffeeland News has been receiving a number of messages on the “decay” and non-functional infrastructure within Kodagu – in particular, the roads and power supply. The roads have literally been washed away – a reflection on the initial poor quality of road construction and the abysmal lack of maintenance. Coupled with the uncontrolled tourist flow, the locals do not venture out on weekends and holidays which are marked by traffic jams and poor/dangerous driving.
Some very interesting suggestions have also been received requesting the District Administration to make good all the roads leading to Talakaveri instead of spending the money on ostentatious Dussehra celebrations – which come to think of it, is a post 1956 merger phenomena.
Our regular Columnist Mamatha Subbaiah has written about the condition of the roads, as only she can. Very powerful appeal to maintain the over century old infrastructure, with a dire need for further development.
– CLN Newsdesk
It is rather unfortunate that the roads across Karnataka are in a sorry state. The CM has given a diktat to end the controversy amid rising frustration over pothole-ridden roads in Bengaluru. Come to Kodagu and check whether we have any motorable roads at all? It is a veritable minefield of potholes.
The state of our roads today has become a daily ordeal for the common man. Prospecting for oil is the sarcasm ridden exchange amongst people that has replaced the past repartee of how much rains have you had? Beneath the humour lies the frustration of citizens who endure broken roads, rising accidents and wasted expenditure year after year.
The potholes in Coffee country are no ordinary ones – they are craters of such alarming depth, shape and size – causing bone breaking journeys for all who dare to manoeuvre on the treacherous stretches of minefields that are called roads.
Potholes are not merely an inconvenience. They are silent threats that claim lives, damage vehicles and expose the inefficiency of those entrusted with public welfare. Every monsoon the same story repeats itself. Roads give way, shoddy, hurried repair works collapse get washed away and taxpayers largesse are left to bear the burden again and again.
This report is not just infrastructure – it is about accountability, professionalism and a reflection on quality of infrastructure. Citizens have the right to question how public funds are being used. We should not sit back and watch crores being sanctioned for road development, only to see the results dissolve with the first rainfall.
The irony is sharp, while politicians talk about infrastructure development, the ground reality is that the very ground beneath us is giving way. As a community, we must demand better. We must insist that expenditure is incurred properly and expenditure made transparent; that quality is not compromised and that those responsible for substandard works are held accountable. Development is not measured by how many times a road is inaugurated, but by how long it lasts without endangering the very people it was meant to serve.
As citizens we have the right to question, how public money is spent and whether it truly serves the good of the community. Roads are not a luxury but a necessity and the people of Kodagu deserve safe, proper and lasting infrastructure. It is time for the State Government to rise above quick fixes and make genuine investments in lasting infrastructure. Let us not wait until an accident or tragedy forces us into action – repairing these roads must be a priority today.
We need roads worthy of the taxes we pay, governance worthy of the trust we place in good administration. It is the time that the residents of Kodagu ask such questions regularly and also seek explanation from the elected representatives at all levels.
This article captures the frustration of citizens perfectly. The state of roads in Kodagu is not just an infrastructure issue, but one of accountability and governance. Potholes are silent killers damaging vehicles, risking lives, and draining taxpayers’ money year after year. It is high time that funds meant for roads are used transparently, works executed professionally, and those responsible for substandard quality are held accountable. True development is measured not by how many roads are inaugurated, but by how long they last without endangering lives. Kodagu deserves safe, durable roads and governance worthy of the people’s trust.
Junglee Maharaj Road
An eye-opener in responsible, professional high integrity execution of road works. Let the very same leaders in Kodagu who have a view on everything other than professional execution of public works with integrity, comment about such Contractors.
Just to lighten things up a bit with a touch of humour! Hope the battle of potholes will be won peacefully 😇
I was forwarded this article by my friends who travel more frequently than I do on the Makutta road to Kannur via Irrity. What a pathetic state the road conditions are – a mockery of civilised existence.
The roads in Kerala are in much better shape, in large measure due the constant questioning by the local residents. The Government and politicians are really taken to task. Maybe that’s what is need in Kodagu too.
Rather sad to see politicians accusing one another for just about anything – this time it’s the poor condition of roads in Kodagu and the rest of the state. Solution – State wide Road Traffic block protest.
One would imagine that the electorate is wise not to fall for these gimmicks and yet they appear to get away with making such bravado statements.
The only solution is transparency in plans to repair /reconstruct the roads in a systematic manner. Gain the publics’ confidence and trust by involving them in inspection of the work being undertaken well before the monsoon breaks out. Confidence in the PWD and related administrative departments is at its lowest ever. Time the Politicians, Bureaucrats and PWD shared their plans with the public and sought their cooperation in inspection, maintenance and protecting the roads.
Mindless tourism without any benefit for the District contributes heavily to the morass of poor road conditions. Action on this front respecting the “tenets” of responsible tourism is absolutely essential.
Hilariously applicable to the roads in Coorg!
Its time to prioritize state highways and MDRoads under central govt to ensure quality & quick fix. Questionable state spending crores on caste census. Focus on basics like roads over festivals like Dussehra in Kodagu.
Its time the govt produce it’s report card on basic developments & infra to the citizens & make them accountable for the laxity.
I like the thought – Dussehra extravaganza or better infrastructure? My choice is obvious.
Have a decent celebration like what happens in “local” festivals like Puthari and let the famous pomp and fanfare take place in Mysore – the heartland of the Dussehra festival. Why replicate the grandeur of each and every festival everywhere – what is the necessity? Spend taxpayer’s money wisely.
This is a heartfelt message – but let us try and make an attempt as a community on how to tackle this problem.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has built exceptional roads in the most difficult terrains. Although many of these are first generation roads, they are built to last and equally importantly, they maintain them with pride. It is obvious that there is NO CORRUPTION and the quality of raw materials is good.
It is not that other organisations are incapable of replicating what BRO does. Also, in places like ours, we should be capable of monitoring quality and execution. It must start from the Gram Panchayat level all the way up to the concerned officials at the District Administration. And just in case the elected representatives want to involve themselves – they do have the opportunity to check out the roads in the many functions they inaugurate across the length and breadth of the district.
With all seriousness, is there anything that can be done with involvement by the public bodies like Kodava Samajas and other Community Samajas where quality is checked and corruption reduced from the ridiculous levels that is made out to be?
This article from Mamatha Subbaiah is actually a somewhat muted expression of the reality of Kodagu’s roads and infrastructure. It is not that we don’t have the expertise to build good roads – of course we do. The problem is lack of accountability and responsibility.
In the private sector or for that matter corporations, we are held accountable for work and expenditure. In the PWD, the engineers are INSTRUCTED by Politicians and bureaucrats. It is indeed time for all the stakeholders to raise their hand and ensure and protest irresponsible public spend. The government(s) come down so hard on non-payment of tax. Can’t the same rules be applied for probity in public expenditure?
Merianda Angady tragedy – what does one say? Please fill potholes. And then what happens if this pattern repeats itself year-after-year?!
The year Tamara opened, there was a miraculous development of the road from Virajpet to Kakkabe. Was it “planned” development – nobody really questioned it and the job was apparently well done. But poor maintenance can destroy the best roads….
Amongst all this morass, there are exceptions to the rule. Yesterday, we raised a request to repair the road along the Kadanur–Talacauvery highway in Coorg. Engineer Sathish responded promptly and ensured that all potholes within his jurisdiction were filled with wet mix.
His swift action and dedication are truly commendable. He is an admirable officer who always responds positively to public requests.
The Catch 22 though is why are the roads so poorly made in the first place – isn’t prevention better than cure?!
You can’t imagine – it is hell on earth!
Click on the below image for the status of roads in and around Siddapur.
Good articulation!
Extremely well written. However, everyone knows how the PWD and the Government works making a mockery of public expectations. What a sad state of affairs.
The article was an echo of the thoughts of majority of the people not just in Kodagu but all over karnataka. As tax payers we are being deprived of this basic requirement which is not only frustrating but annoying as well. It’s an ordeal to drive around Kodagu. Patchwork doesn’t help and we need permanent solutions and hope the elected reps will take this as a matter of priority and take action. Indeed a well written article by Mamatha.
Since I travel on these surfaces every day, they can only be referred to as roads to perdition. It requires a lot of spiritual positivity to remain upbeat after these journeys, but there is no alternative. The only way forward is an open discussion and taking joint responsibility for public expenditure. Audit, evaluation and responsibility for every Km of road created should be undertaken with sincerity – else with the tremendous surge in traffic in Kodagu – things will only get worse.
Even the larger vehicles – buses and trucks are victims of the state of apathy of our roads. Loss of time, productivity and damage to vehicles are serious matters of concern.
I wish to commend columnist Mamatha Subbaiah for her powerful article on Kodagu’s deteriorating roads. She has voiced the concerns of the public with clarity and courage making a compelling appeal for accountability and better infrastructure. She writing truly reflects the pulse of the people.
Good article Mamatha Subbaiah. There are Engineering technologies for Construction al terrain roads in marsh lands, over glaciers and even Soft bedded Himalayan mountains. With political will such all weather road can also be laid in kodagu. Let people also find the cat – the contractor or the politicians- to be belled.
Mamatha Subbaiah has rightly pointed out on the appalling condition of roads and infrastructure in kodagu. Her writing strikes a fine balance between fact and feeling, presenting the everyday struggle of the people with clarity and conviction.
Another brilliant and thought provoking article by Mamtha. As rightly pointed out citizens in kodagu need to question the pathetic condition of the minefield called roads. But knowing our people I am pretty sure nothing much will happen on that front. Sadly we are a community who rarely fight for our rights unless provoked. We are good in owning high end cars without caring where and how we drive them. It’s time for all of us to probably drive roadrollers instead of cars, so that it serves a dual purpose of keeping our backs safe and also roads in good condition.
It’s time that the government makes it mandatory to display the contractor’s name for the stretch of road he has constructed. In Kerala most of the roads carry the contractors name and also a guarantee for a specified period of time. But this looks to be a very utopian asking in Karnataka where 45% commission is mandatory as payment to be made to the political class which is the crux of the whole issue and the major reason for bad infrastructure all over the state especially in KODAGU which unfortunately also gets badly battered by the 25 lakh tourist influx annually. Time to also put a cap on the tourist influx by introducing an online pass system where based on the carrying capacity of the district a set number of tourists are permitted to visit. This shall go a long way in preserving the beautiful and fragile ecosystem of KODAGU.
It is time that we residents of Kodagu replicate the Kerala model where every infrastructure projects of government are scrutinized by the public. If this is not turned into a citizens movement things are ought to spiral out of control with poor quality of work and corruption taking centre stage.
This year, Coorg has witnessed unprecedented rainfall, far exceeding the average. As a result, most of the roads are in a deplorable state. Even though the MLAs have approved and sanctioned the road works, contractors have been instructed not to begin until dry weather sets in. In the meantime, the district administration has only managed temporary patchwork by filling potholes, which offers little relief. With the rains still continuing even as I write this, the situation remains grim and calls for a more permanent solution. Here, I would like to highlight that since the terrain itself is challenging, we need durable solutions like rubber-mixed asphalt used in Kerala roads – where even during heavy rains, you hardly find a pothole.
One of the best ever articles written in any Kodagu newspaper – rivals the best in any national daily.