Now Reading: NHAI clears encroachments on Mangaluru-Talapady highway
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NHAI clears encroachments on Mangaluru-Talapady highway
The National Highways Authority of India has started removing encroachments along the Mangaluru, Talapady national highway stretch, targeting roadside fish, fruit and other vendors near Kallapu whose stalls have created safety hazards…
The Story in Brief
The National Highways Authority of India has started removing encroachments along the Mangaluru, Talapady national highway stretch, targeting roadside fish, fruit and other vendors near Kallapu whose stalls have created safety hazards and traffic congestion, officials said. A stretch near Kallapu has already been cleared, and the drive will continue to ensure smooth vehicle movement. Additionally, NHAI plans to build service roads from Kundapur to Talapady, with the first section between Kolya and Kotekar expected to start after shifting electric poles. The forest department has permitted tree cutting for this stretch. NHAI is also preparing detailed project reports for service roads at 13 locations, including Koteshwara, Brahmavar and Mulki.
The Indian Opinion
The NHAI's sudden focus on roadside vendors raises a genuine question: is this a routine safety drive, or a prelude to pushing informal livelihoods off the road without rehabilitation plans? The same stretch has seen multiple meetings and instructions from an MP and officials, yet the root problem of waste accumulation and unplanned vending was ignored for years. The test now is whether NHAI follows its own stated plans to build service roads and utility shifts, or merely clears land and moves on. That action will show if this is sincere infrastructure work or just displacement with publicity.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
