Authorities play hide-and-seek; Ring Road in darkness again

Mysore/Mysuru: Motorists dread to travel on the 42-km-long Outer Ring Road (National Highway 275-K) during nights as the stretch is pitch dark in the absence of street-lights. Despite several announcements made by elected representatives, Ministers and officials, the road plunges into darkness after 7 pm, endangering the safety of hundreds of people using the motorway and residents of layouts beyond the road. 

Constructed to prevent heavy traffic of trucks from entering the heart of the city and to provide a smooth ride for commuters entering the inner areas of city from Madikeri, H.D. Kote, Nanjangud, T. Narasipur, Bannur, Mahadevapura, Bengaluru and KRS, the Outer Ring Road is serving its purpose only during day time. 

Lights are switched on only during Dasara since the last four to five years. Earlier, there was lack of clarity on who should operate and maintain the street-lights — is it the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) or National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Following severe public criticism, days before every Dasara, meetings are held to fix responsibility of Ring Road maintenance but the solution seems to be a mirage. 

Apart from the increasing number of accidents on the dark stretch, the road has become a haven for dacoities, robberies, abductions and immoral activities. Even though Highway Patrol cars and Garuda personnel keep doing the rounds, driving on this road in the middle of the night or early in the morning has become frightening. Most of the crimes occurring in Mysuru city are being reported on Ring Road.

Star of Mysore is flooded with calls and letters from time to time highlighting the issue but the published reports have fallen on deaf ears. The latest missive is from J.N. Sarvajith Kumar, a student of Journalism in Manasagangothri. He told this correspondent that there are no doubts that the Ring Road has made commuting easier for Mysureans as it connects major areas of the city and plays a key role in reducing city traffic.

“The Ring Road is a favourite spot for cyclists and fitness enthusiasts. But sadly, there are no street-lights and travelling on this stretch during nights and early in the morning is a nightmarish experience. It’s pitch dark and leads to accidents and worsening the situation, the Police have erected barricades right on the middle of the road to prevent over-speeding. However, many cannot see the barricades as they become blind spot, leading to accidents” he said. 

Sarvajith added that there has been an increase in crimes such as robberies and chain-snatchings and even hit-and-run cases. “It will be a relief for commuters if the authorities shed ‘light’ on the issue and solve this at the earliest,” he said. 

According to MUDA officials, the Ring Road has 2,135 electric poles and each pole has two lights — 4,270 bulbs. “We have replaced the burnt-out bulbs and still the problem persists as rodents have eaten off the wires as they have been laid under the box drain that has been constructed on the middle of the Road. These wires have to be re-insulated,” they said. 

Over 1,136 electricity poles of the total 2,135 come under MUDA while the rest come under the jurisdiction of MCC and Zilla Panchayat (ZP). The MCC has already floated global tenders to replace over 80,000 street-lights across the city including bulbs along the Ring Road, officials added.