District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Public Works Department (PWD) to do temporary works including filling of potholes on roads under their jurisdiction on a war-footing.
He said the district administration and the police would facilitate road repair works in the night so the public was not put to hardships. Admitting that permanent surfacing of roads had to wait till the rain is over, he asked both the agencies to undertake temporary repair works without further delay.
Mr. Pareeth said the NHAI has received sanction for Rs. 25 lakh for repair works. A proposal of Rs. 1 crore is pending approval of the Union government. Once it is cleared, the repair work of the stretch between Edappally junction and the bridge on NH-17 will be undertaken.
Earlier in the week, the Collector had passed on to the NHAI a list of potholes on NH 47 near Vyttila, which the SB-CID had found particularly threatening. The District Collector had asked the NHAI to take immediate measures to fill the potholes in front of Gold Souk Mall.
NHAI officials said the holes could not be filled effectively as long as the rain continued. They said the holes were filled using tar a couple of times but it got washed away in the rain.
The Collector said the PWD had already started the repair works and the district administration and the police would extend all support to the agency.
