MADIKERI: In the village of Mukkodlu, within the Makkanduru Grama Panchayat, little has changed over the decades when it comes to basic infrastructure. Residents say that even today, the absence of proper roads continues to impact daily life.
“The village has not seen tarmac roads from ancestral times. We used to walk to schools for about 10 km three decades ago and this ritual continues as the school children are still forced to walk up the rough terrain to reach their institutions,” said Sajan Somanna, a resident of the village.
The Thanthipala–Mukkodlu–Kallu Kattu Road was declared a Public Works Department road a few years ago. However, the upgrade remains only on paper, as the entire stretch is now in its worst condition.
The 6 km stretch is riddled with large craters, making daily life difficult for over 50 families in the village. The situation worsens every monsoon, when residents are forced to hire four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach their homes. Even these often fail to make it through, leaving then with no choice but to walk the rough terrain.
“It has become a herculean task for parents to ferry their children safely to schools. As no school vans can tread this way, we are forced to take children on bikes. With the present road condition, we are risking our lives commuting on this pathetic road,” said Gautami, another resident of the village.
Villagers gathered in large numbers to voice their concerns, saying that in medical emergencies, it takes nearly an hour and a half to reach the hospital in Madapura because of the poor condition of the road.
The village continues to face complete neglect from the authorities concerned, as the PWD road remains poorly maintained -- not only lacking tarmac, but also without proper drainage and with overgrown weeds left unpruned.
Meanwhile, residents continue to struggle with electricity and mobile network issues, as not a single telecommunication provider has extended services to the village, which houses over 200 residents.
The Jal Jeevan Mission has also failed in the village, with authorities completing only the construction of a water tank without laying any pipeline connections. Adding to the concern, the tank has already developed cracks.
“If the authorities do not sanction a tarmac road to our village, we will soon block Somwarpet-Madikeri Road and protest for our rights,” concluded Sajan.
PWD engineer Girish, who was present at the spot, assured that the problems of the villagers would be addressed and said a proposal is in place to lay tarmac on the village road.