Tripunithura is a fast growing satellite town of Kochi city and provides shelter to thousands of people working in and around Ernakulam. The commuters of this area have to go to Ernakulam Town Railway Station (since some of the trains do not pass through Ernakulam Junction) travelling more than 15 km. If a halt is allowed at the Tripunithura railway station for all express trains, traffic congestion at the city roads can be minimised to a certain extent. Even though Tripunithura railway station has two platforms that can accommodate 24 bogies each, the railway station is still underutilised.
--A. Seshadri, President, Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Resident’s Associations, Central Zone.
District Collector
P.I. Sheikh Pareeth:
The District Administration will discuss the matter with the authorities concerned for exploring the possibility of allowing halt at Tripunithura for all express trains not touching Ernakulam South Railway. But, Tripunithura Railway Station will have more rail connectivity once the Kochi Metro service becomes operational. The present approved proposal for Kochi Metro Rail is from Aluva to Pettah and there is no railway station or railway line at Pettah and since there is a Railway Station at Tripunithura, the District Administration will take up the matter for extension of Kochi Metro Rail up to Tripunithura. Since the Government has agreed in principle to extend Kochi Metro rail up to Tripunithura in the first phase itself, the District Administration will pursue the matter further in this respect.
A dilapidated and clogged drain opposite Kadavanthra Market, Gandhi Nagar is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and poisonous snakes. Will the Kochi Corporation take steps to clean the drain.
—Joseph Mathew, Kadavanthra
Mayor
Tony Chammany:
You are right in your observation. The dilapidated and clogged drain mentioned is part of the Thevara - Perandoor Canal. Necessary steps have been initiated for cleaning the canal and work has already begun from the vicinity of Udhaya Colony. The workers have started removing seaweeds and other plastic wastes in large chunks. It will take some more time before the cleaning process reaches the stretch mentioned by you. However, I would like to mention that the major cause for clogging of drains and waste accumulation is primarily because of the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, plastic and bottles in public places, including canals and drains. The large amount of garbage in the water bodies of the city is a serious issue. The garbage not only obstructs water flow and breeds mosquitoes but also pollutes the ground water. Let us not treat this only as a civic governance issue but as a problem which is going to affect all of us badly in near future. Maintenance of water bodies has to be a collective effort.
Readers may e-mail their questions for the Collector, the police commissioner and the mayor at readersvoice@thehindu.co.in The mailing address is: Co-ordinatior (Editorial), The Hindu, NH Bypass Road, Vyttila, Kochi 682019.
Compiled by K.K. Sankaran
