The Dakshina Kannada district administration has barred the entry of the general public into the incomplete Netravathi Riverfront Promenade. The work on the promenade has been going on for the last three years.
Though the promenade was not formally opened, people used to enter the riverfront through a gate near the TVS Treads Factory, beneath the Mangalore Club. Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan on Monday said that as the work was still going on, the location was not safe for the general public, and hence the decision was made to bar entry.
Abuzz with activities
The kids’ play area at the incomplete Netravathi Riverfront Promenade in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Rajaram Shetty, a resident of Bolar, said he was surprised to witness police personnel keeping a guard at the “unofficial” entrance when he went for a stroll on Sunday evening. They told him the public was not allowed to enter the incomplete riverfront under the direction of the district administration.
He said that though the riverfront work was incomplete, hundreds of people visited the site, particularly on weekends. The children also use the kids’ play area extensively. “The facility offers a much-needed breather to people,” Mr. Shetty said.
The deserted Netravathi Riverfront Promenade in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Illegal activities
Officials of Mangaluru Smart City Ltd. (MSCL), the body executing the project, told The Hindu that as there was no one to look after the site, and that immoral and illegal activities used to take place in the area, particularly after sunset. People used to stay overnight, they said, justifying the decision of the administration.
June 2nd week
Mr. Darshan told reporters that of the 2.1 km proposed riverfront promenade, a 1.8 km stretch would be thrown open to the general public by the second week of June. The remaining 300-metre stretch continues to remain under legal hurdles, he said.
MSCL would build the approach road works to the promenade. Meanwhile, a tile factory owner has agreed to provide the space for parking on a rent payment basis to Mangaluru City Corporation. The Mangalore Club, too, would be approached to allow its premises to be used to access the riverfront, the Deputy Commissioner said.