This story is from May 14, 2021

Karnataka: Shade nets placed at traffic signals to keep motorists cool in Vijayapura

The maximum temperature has already reached 40 degrees Celsius in north Karnataka. People are suffering due to the heat, and are trying to beat it through various methods. Motorists and pedestrians are the worst affected.
Karnataka: Shade nets placed at traffic signals to keep motorists cool in Vijayapura
VIJAYAPURA: The maximum temperature has already reached 40 degrees Celsius in north Karnataka. People are suffering due to the heat, and are trying to beat it through various methods. Motorists and pedestrians are the worst affected.
The Vijayapura City Corporation (VCC) has come to the rescue of motorists in the city, by puttix for a few seconds.
Deputy commissioner P Sunil Kumar told TOI that shade nets were installed in Vijayapura earlier as well.
“As the temperature was increasing, the police department recommended it, and we instructed VCC to do the same, in the interest of commuters and pedestrians. This year we have improved the quality of the nets, as they used to get torn due to storms,” he added.
Shade nets were introduced in Vijayapura on the lines of Kurnool, by then deputy commissioner Y S Patil and VCC commissioner Audram. VCC commissioner Harsha Shetty said that this plan was floated much before the lockdown was announced. “We have installed these nets from the second week of April, at 5 traffic signals, and they will remain there till June 15. We have installed steel grills as well, and the total cost incurred for setting up the nets is Rs 5 lakh,” he added.
Basavaraj Biradar, an employee with BLDE Association, said that the nets give relief to two-wheeler riders, from the scorching Sun. “As we stop at the signal, we remove our helmets and rest under the cool shadow of the net. It’s also a temporary shelter for pedestrians, who normally cross the road at signals,” he said.
However, he added that the nets are being torn due to storms, and that the VCC is not maintaining them regularly.
Gangadhar Patil, a private employee, said that the net allows the tops of cars to get cool. “If it rains, the net can give cover to pedestrians, as it it diverts water to the roadside,” he said.
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