Mysuru: A quick fix solution to the battered and pothole-filled city roads and footpaths in the run-up to the Dasara festival is underway in many parts of the city, especially in the Central Business District. Patchworks and last-minute road and footpath works are a bane for this Heritage City and this routine is followed religiously by the official machinery and the political class every year. 

All year through, the roads and footpaths are left neglected unattended and it is only during Dasara, the patchworks are taken up. Looking at the way how the works are carried out annually for some years, it is clear that there will be development in Mysuru only during Dasara and if not for Dasara, no development works will be taken up. 

 At least during earlier Dasaras, massive road and footpath repair works were being taken up months before the annual attraction and if a road has to be repaired, the entire stretch would be neatly re-laid and asphalted. And these works would last for at least a year or two despite heavy rain and movement of vehicles. But now, the official machinery and the political class have found a new way of carrying out last-minute works and call it ‘patchwork’ and this is taken up just 20 or 25 days before Dasara. 

These eleventh-hour works are destined to be shoddy and the road or footpath is back to square one in just a few months. And these are again taken up next year as part of ‘patchwork’ giving jobs, commission, cuts and percentage to a long list of people who wait desperately for Dasara to make money. And the cycle goes on every year. Added to the mess is the rain which washes off such ‘patchworks’. 

This year too, the works are on in war footing with just 11 days left for Dasara to begin. The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is filling potholes and undertaking other road works in a hurried manner on Irwin Road and Devaraja Urs Road. 

As the works of widening of Irwin Road is going on with some buildings on either side of the road being demolished, only filling of potholes and patchworks is being taken up from Nehru Circle to Government Ayurveda Hospital Circle for which Dasara funds is being utilised.

Similarly, footpath repair works and filling of potholes on Devaraja Urs Road and works on JLB Road, Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road, Ashoka Road and other roads in the heart of the city is being taken up. Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde and others inspected repair works.

Cleaning of city to be taken up from Sept. 20

The MCC is aiming to take up the works of cleaning the city from Sept. 20. An order requesting all Government Departments to join hands with the MCC has been issued in this regard. Along with Pourakarmikas, five persons will be allotted to every ward on daily wage basis for 15 days and tenders have been called for tractors for the cleaning purpose.

The MCC will appoint 300 persons in four packages to maintain cleanliness around the Mysore Palace and in all places where cultural programmes would be held.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, MCC Deputy Commissioner B.C. Shivanandamurthy said that the tender process will be completed on Sept. 18 and the cleaning works would be taken up from Sept. 20. Importance will be given for cleanliness and precautionary measures have been taken so that no problem arises, he added.

Meanwhile, Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath said that a meeting with contractors had been called twice and the contractors had assured of extending their co-operation just like they did during Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.