Karnataka - Mangalore   

Mangalore getting beautified

Special Correspondent

Corporation plans extensive programme to spruce up landmarks of the port city

A BEAUTY SPOT: Road dividers in Mangalore will wear a new look, if the city corporation implements its proposals.

MANGALORE: This coastal city is endowed with natural beauty. But over the past two years, the city faced a degree of defacement because of development works under way.

The city's roads were dug up, shade-giving trees were felled, pipelines were replaced and a few roads were concreted and pavements laid with interlocking tiles. All this and more under the development programme taken up by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC).

The city, which went through hell for three years under the infrastructure development programme, is now limping back to normality and the city fathers are thinking of freshening up the city's prominent circles and landmark areas.

Mayor K. Ashraf has taken it upon himself to direct the beautification programme of Mangalore, and there are no voices of dissent because the programme appears to be foolproof. To begin with, the city corporation has taken up the job of beautifying the city's Mahatma Gandhi Road, which links two important circles — PVS Circle and Lady Hill Circle.

Thanks to some private entrepreneurs on this road deciding to pitch in, the road will look better when the beautification is completed, says Mr. Ashraf.

Although the city fathers have been talking of beautification of the city for five years, the budgetary allocation was diverted to take up additional and support work along with those taken up by the KUIDFC. Successive mayors, including Devanna Shetty, Ramesh Kotian, Hilda Alva, Abdul Aziz, Shashidhar Hegde, K. Diwakar and Purandaradasa Kulur, allocated money but none implemented the proposals. But Mr. Ashraf said with the major infrastructure development work behind the city, it is time to focus on finer aspects. It may not be possible for the city corporation to do it all alone. As Mayor, his job is only to initiate the process.

He is hoping that corporate houses in the city will help in a major way, Mr. Ashraf said. Even while the beautification project is still in the conceptual stage, the corporation is experimenting with a new concept in managing tarmac at bus bays in the city.

To make a beginning, the corporation has taken up laying of interlocking tiles on the bus bay in front of the commercial complex of the corporation.

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