Sir,

The series of accidents since 2018 at the Visvesvaraya Canal in Mandya, which has claimed numerous lives — including the latest incident on Feb. 3, when a car plunged into the canal after the driver lost control, resulting in three deaths (Star of Mysore dated Feb. 4) — can only be attributed to the inexcusable neglect of the authorities in implementing foolproof safety measures.

Rightly, villagers blame officials for failing to construct a retaining wall and other necessary safety measures. The fact that this canal bund is frequently used by school and college buses should have been a warning. Yet, these accidents continue to occur as no one is held accountable.

In this era of advanced technology, finding an engineering solution is not an insurmountable task. A retaining wall should be constructed on both sides of the bridge approach for a considerable length. If the bridge is narrow, it should be widened, and additional safety measures such as warning signals, rumble strips, and proper lighting should be introduced.

Saving lives should be the top priority. Installing safety nets across the canal on both sides of the bridge should also be considered as an added safeguard.

What is of paramount importance is adopting a mission-mode approach to complete these safety measures within a set timeframe rather than waiting for another tragedy.

The Government must also compensate the victims’ families adequately.

– H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, Saraswathipuram, 4.2.2025

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