Mon Sep 23 17:12:19 UTC 2024: ## Residents of Kombaru Village Finally Get Bridge and Road After Decades of Struggle

**MANGALURU, September 23, 2024:** After nearly three decades of demanding a bridge and a proper road, residents of Kombaru village in Dakshina Kannada will finally see their wishes fulfilled. The State government has sanctioned ₹1.31 crore for the construction of a bridge over Katte stream and the development of the connecting Manibanda-Ukkunda-Kotegudde-Katte road.

The bridge, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹50 lakh, will replace a foot overbridge that residents had to use to cross the stream. The remaining ₹81.5 lakh will be used to develop the connecting road, which passes through a government higher primary school.

The decision came after Gunavantha Katte and his brother Manjunath Katte, residents of Kombaru, filed a writ petition in the High Court. The brothers, along with other villagers, had been demanding the bridge and road since 1994. They pointed out that during the monsoon season, their area turns into an island, making it difficult for residents to access basic necessities like healthcare.

“It is a life-and-death situation,” said Gunavantha Katte, a farmer. “Doctors are afraid to come to our area, and we have to carry ill patients for miles. My father died two years ago because I couldn’t get him to the hospital in time.”

Inspired by a similar successful case in Mettuttaru village, where residents obtained funding for a bridge and road after filing multiple petitions, the Katte brothers sought the help of advocate Katte N. Praveen Kumar, a native of Kombaru. Their writ petition was filed in January 2024, and after several hearings, the government finally agreed to fund the project.

Tenders for the construction work have now been floated, and residents of Kombaru are hopeful that their long-awaited infrastructure will soon be a reality.

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