Mandya: In the wake of rise in number of accidents on Access Controlled 10 lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway, ADGP (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar inspected several stretches of the Expressway that have turned into black spots near Nidaghatta, Maddur and Gejjalagere in Maddur taluk and Hanakere in Mandya taluk in the district this morning.

The residents of nearby villages who gathered on the arrival of ADGP Kumar, complained about unscientific works resulting in the accumulation of water during rain, with no vent to reach the storm water drain, near Nidaghatta junction on the Expressway, which has also witnessed more number of accidents of late. The underpass which connects several villages in Maddur and Channapatna taluks (Ramanagara district) also has been built without any proper planning, causing severe inconvenience, as the school and college students also board and alight buses at the same spot. The footpath works near the underpass also remain incomplete, though National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has acquired the land for related works, the villagers complained.

Due to the absence of footpath near the underpass at Nidaghatta, a vehicle veered off the road and ploughed into a hut nearby, but fortunately there was no fatality. The fences should be erected and lights should be installed in the underpass, in the interest of safety of road users, the villagers told ADGP Alok Kumar, besides venting their anguish on NHAI engineers present on the spot.

The ADGP Kumar spoke to NHAI higher-ups over phone and asked them about the reasons behind increasing number of accidents near Ramanagara, Channapatna and Maddur junctions of the Expressway.

The ADGP also inspected the stretch of Expressway in Maddur near KSRTC Bus Stand and Gejjalagere and Hanakere in Mandya taluk, where the accidents were reported in the recent days, before proceeding towards Mandya town, where he had a brief alt.

ADGP Kumar is also expected to visit the Expressway till Ganangur in Srirangapatna taluk, where the new toll plaza will be inaugurated tomorrow.

This was the second inspection visit of the ADGP after conducting the first inspection of the stretch of the Expressway from Kumbalgodu to Ramanagara on June 27, where too he received similar complaints from locals blaming unscientific works.

Mandya Superintendent of Police (SP) N. Yathish, Additional SP Thammaiah, Maddur Circle Police Inspector (CPI) Santosh Kumar, Mandya Traffic Inspector Ayyana Gowda and other Officers were present during the inspection.