Mangaluru
International Airport (MIA) has experienced a steady increase in traffic, handling nearly 20.2 lakh passengers in 2023-24. However, airport users face challenges due to a half-kilometer stretch of poorly maintained road from Marakada to the city corporation limits, where the Public Works Department (PWD) road begins.
The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has not maintained this road, which falls under its jurisdiction. Former Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur stated that engineers have been directed to temporarily fill potholes using wet mix until permanent repairs can be made.
Funds of Rs 2.8 crore were designated for a four-lane rigid pavement from Marakada Junction to the start of the PWD road. However, changes in government resulted in the cancellation of the Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana I (MGNVY I) grant and some tenders. This delay means the four-lane work would have been completed by now, according to Shetty.
Temporary measures are planned, with funds allocated for patchwork. The Assistant Executive Engineer of the corporation has been instructed to begin wet mix repairs soon. Under MGNVY I, Rs 125 crore was allocated for infrastructure development, but only Rs 33 crore was sanctioned, with other tenders cancelled.
In February, the Urban Development Minister announced that each of the 60 city wards would receive over Rs 3 crore for infrastructure development under MGNVY-2.0, urging the city corporation to submit an action plan to the government.
