After being served a rude wake-up call in the form of a tragic accident involving a school vehicle killing three pre-school students and an ayah last week, Maradu municipality has started identifying and fortifying such vulnerable spots within its limits to avert accidents.
The vehicle of a pre-school bus skidded and fell into a pond last Monday evening when the driver lost control while negotiating an ‘S’-shaped curve along the narrow Kattithara Road, tucked away in an interior area. The van had eight kids and the ayah aboard at the time of the accident.
The pond located close to the narrow road had no boundary wall, which could have prevented the tragedy. In fact, it was a tragedy waiting to happen since there was enough forewarning when a mini lorry carrying concrete blocks had fallen into the pond in a similar fashion. Following public outcry, municipal authorities have started the construction of a protective wall alongside the pond. “We have already identified and started constructing protective fencing along three such vulnerable spots in the municipality, including the spot where the tragedy took place. The other two spots are at Nettoor and at Kattithara where Society Road meets Ainithodu. The identification of more spots are under way,” said Sunila Sibi, municipal chairperson.
Asha Sanil, district panchayat president and co-chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), said: “The district panchayat on its own cannot take up or fund similar projects. However, the DDMA has asked local bodies to put up protective fencing around such vulnerable spots using their own funds,” she said.
