By The Flag Post staff
October 21, 2024
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The Nobel Laureate Ravindra Nath Tagore having stayed for a few months during his youth, described Karwar: as The Kashmir of Karnataka. The name struck, and Karwar to this date and age is known as the ‘Kashmir of Karnataka’. Karwar has earned the epithet of Kashmir, which it rightly deserves as it blessed by mother nature.
But in the modern times, is it really beautiful? An energetic social worker Sayed Yakub S Ali (respectfully addressed as Yakub ji) and he has a different take on the city’s problems. He’s one of the few persons, who know the head quarters of Uttara Kannada (U.K) district, like the back of his hand. The bespectacled senior citizen nearing 70 years starts his day early in the morning making multiple rounds on his cycle (he’s seen across the city the entire day). He travels the length and breadth of the city including the Tagore beach. He’s the travelling encyclopaedia of the coastal city, and all civic problems plaguing the city are captured on his mobile phone as photos and videos. The footage he takes is shared on a few platforms created for public good and welfare of Karwar.
He knows the potholes on every road; nails menacingly protruding upwards; underground drainage (UGD) seeping on the public thoroughfares; waste lying outside religious structures and he also keeps tabs on the non functioning streetlights. They are off when they must be switched on, and are off when they must be switched on. (meaning the municipal authorities turn a blind eye to their upkeep and maintenance).
Yakub ji’s other observations of Karwar are: are the lack of proper treatment in government health centres, and some schools not in proper shape. During major festivals on Tagore beach, the beach is left dirty and the waste lies there. So, local awareness is the need of the hour; and well meaning citizens of the city must come forward and take the initiative in having a clean city. The place is left unclean and it causes health problems to the children, old and young using the public space. Yakub ji, silently witnesses the drama unfolding across the city on a daily basis. The untreated dirty and UGD water going to the beach is a real cause for concern.
Some buildings have been constructed as per their whim and fancy and openly flouting rules. A 20’ (feet) road becomes 8’ causing traffic bottleneck in those areas. The residents of the illegal structures park their vehicles on the road, and it becomes difficult for two vehicles to pass by leading to frayed tempers. And why there must be a divider on 30’ road, when it should be made on a 60’ road?
