Repair works of damaged roads in the district is set to gather pace with PWD contractors withdrawing their boycott of government works on Thursday.
Ernakulam executive engineer of PWD (Roads wing) Jotty P. Thomas said the battered road near Naval Base would be repaired on Thursday night, while other road works that were held up due to the boycott would commence from Friday.
There was widespread protest against PWD’s delay in repairing Vyttila-Pettah Road, the junction that leads to Thopumpady BOT bridge and Kakkanad-Athani Road, among others. Minister for Public Works V.K. Ibrahim Kunju had on Tuesday set September 5 as the revised deadline to repair and wherever possible resurface damaged roads. With rains taking a break during the past four days and the quarry strike ending a week ago, the DMRC intensified repair of potholed parts of Aluva-Vyttila metro corridor.
Kochi Corporation, GCDA and National Highways Authority of India are yet to begin repair works, despite deadlines by the Minister and Collector and remarks by High Court of Kerala.
Even Edapally-Aroor NH Bypass and bridges on the stretch are not free of potholes, though NHAI collects hefty toll from motorists. The deadline to repair the stretch expired on Thursday. The District Collector had threatened to stop toll collection if the agency failed to ensure a pothole-free bypass by Thursday. A decision is expected on Friday, based on the condition of the stretch.
Expressing their angst at the plight of Kochi roads, activists of Kochi for Change (KFC) staged a sit-in protest in front of a potholed stretch at Kadavanthra Junction on Thursday. KFC has invited photographs of potholes in the city. The winner will receive prize money worth Rs 1,000. They will be exhibited before Corporation office.
