Frustrated by choked air and battered streets, civic activists gathered at Sangolli Rayanna Circle in Hubballi on Saturday to demand immediate intervention from the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. Members of the Namma Karnataka Sene turned their grievance into direct street action, handing out protective face masks to pedestrians and commuters before marching to submit a formal appeal to the civic administration.

Key Highlights of the Protest

  • Location: Demonstration staged at Sangolli Rayanna Circle, culminating at the Municipal Commissioner’s office.
  • Organiser: Namma Karnataka Sene, led by local and district office-bearers.
  • Core Demands: Scientific dust mitigation, urgent patching of potholes, and debris clearance.
  • Infrastructure Concern: Enforcing a strict deadline on prolonged flyover construction in Hubballi’s commercial core.

A City Caught Under Debris and Smog

Demonstrators pointed out that several primary arterial roads across the city have deteriorated into dangerous stretches filled with deep craters and blanketed in thick dust. They argued that ongoing flyover construction has compounded the misery, bottlenecking key traffic intersections and turning daily travel into an ordeal.

A critical issue raised during the march was the utter lack of coordination among civic departments. With multiple agencies digging up roadways for disparate utility projects without joint planning, large swaths of Hubballi remain plagued by half-finished repairs and hazardous open excavations.

Health Hazards and Economic Fallout

The activists underscored that the relentless road dust is no longer merely an eyesore—it has developed into a mounting public health threat. Commuters, pedestrians, roadside merchants, and nearby residents are breathing in particulate matter daily, raising concerns over chronic respiratory strain and safety hazards caused by low visibility on rough surfaces.

To confront the crisis, the organisation called on municipal authorities to adopt scientific methods for dust suppression, clear mounds of abandoned excavated earth and debris, and carry out durable repairs on crumbling road stretches.

Calls for Strict Deadlines on the Central Flyover

Beyond surface maintenance, the demonstrators urged urban local bodies to rein in protracted structural projects. They insisted that the ongoing flyover work situated right in the heart of Hubballi must be bound to a firm completion timeline to relieve chronic gridlock.

Prominent figures leading the demonstration included labour leader Mahesh Pattar, district president Basavaraj Devaramani, and taluk president Basavaraj Sali, alongside dozens of civic volunteers who pledged to keep pressing local officials until tangible roadworks begin.