The Public Works Department (PWD) might not be able to adhere to the October 31 revised deadline set by Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran to complete repair and restoration of roads in Ernakulam district.
The previous deadline of September was postponed to October 25 and later by one more week. Complaints are pouring in about the department’s ineptitude in completing repair of the pothole-ridden Civil Line Road that links the city with the Collectorate in Kakkanad and the inordinate delay in laying concrete paver blocks on the Vyttila-Kunnara Park stretch.
“The contractor entrusted with restoring the Civil Line Road has completed only patch works (which came apart in many places due to inadequate usage of bitumen). Laying of 20-mm chipping-carpet work is pending,” said a senior PWD official.
Similarly, chipping carpet work is pending on roads being restored in Fort Kochi. This poses the risk of patch works done during the past month getting washed away due to vehicular movement.
While inspecting the plight of roads in West Kochi, Mr. Sudhakaran had publicly lashed out at officials a month ago for tardy progress of road repair works, though Kochi was to play host to FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches since October 6.
Reacting to widespread complaints of inexcusable delay in laying of concrete blocks in the Vyttila-Kunnara Park stretch and undulations on the concreted surface, PWD sources said that work was pending in a 300-metre-long area.
Work on the 700-metre-long corridor was tendered as part of Sabarimala road repair work and can be executed even during rainy weather.
The condition of roads in and around Thripunithura, Udayamperoor and adjacent places too is bad.
The PWD has not even begun patch works in Udayamperoor where the entire width of the road is pothole ridden due to improper drainage. PWD sources attributed the delay to a section of contractors boycotting works.
“Now that the boycott is over, it will take at least another fortnight to complete re-tender proceedings and to award the work.”
Though the PWD has completed laying 20-mm chipping carpet over damaged portions of Park Avenue Road, Goshree Road and Shanmugham Road, there are concerns that any delay in resurfacing the corridors will erode the road surface due to constant movement of vehicles.
