Residents of Maragodu village in Madikeri staged a strong protest on Friday, expressing their deep frustration over the authorities' continued failure to repair the severely damaged Maragodu-Katlekadu road, a stretch that has reportedly been neglected for two decades.
Two Decades of Neglect and Broken Promises
The core grievance of the villagers revolves around a shocking 20-year period without any significant road repair work. They highlighted that the specific section between Maragodu and Hulithala has deteriorated to a point where it has lost all roadworthiness. Despite numerous appeals to the district administration and their elected representatives over the years, the situation remained unchanged, leading to Friday's outburst of public anger.
Transport Chaos and Safety Risks
The protest was not without immediate cause. The dire condition of the road has severely disrupted local transport and posed serious safety hazards.
KSRTC bus services have been forced to turn back from Hulithala, refusing to traverse the damaged stretch to reach Maragodu. Even auto-rickshaw drivers are now hesitant to take passengers on this route. Two-wheeler riders are compelled to risk their lives daily, while locals with cars and jeeps have no choice but to use the treacherous road for essential travel, further damaging their vehicles.
Official Response and Assurances
The protest drew the attention of senior police officials, including Madikeri DYSP Suraj and Circle Inspector Chandrashekhar from Madikeri rural police station. They visited the site, pacified the agitators, and urged them not to block vehicular movement.
The demonstrators presented their complaints directly to Girish, the assistant engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), who arrived at the spot. Faced with the villagers' justified anger, the PWD officials finally promised to initiate the long-overdue repair work soon. They cited recent rains as a reason for the delay, an explanation the villagers have heard many times before. The community now waits to see if these assurances will translate into tangible action on the ground.
