The pre-monsoon works undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD) in the city is nearing completion.
While the Roads and Bridges wing of the PWD was sanctioned an amount of Rs. 25 lakh to attend to works stretching 16 km within the city limits, the National Highways wing was entrusted with undertaking works worth Rs. 37 lakh along a distance of 41 km. The planned activities of the NH wing included those in Kadampattukonam, Pallipuram and Attingal, places beyond the city limits. According to a PWD official, the related works were launched in May in accordance with the directives of Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran. “Prior to commencing the activities, consultations had been held with the respective councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to ensure that all issues pertaining to roads and drains that came under the purview of the PWD were addressed,” the official said.
Besides filling potholes, the pre-monsoon works focused mainly on cleaning the culverts and drains to ensure the unhindered flow of water and prevent flooding. The drains to be attended to were identified soon after the onset of monsoon, following which they were de-silted and cleaned of waste materials. The NH wing has completed pre-monsoon activities in Kazhakuttam and Kesavadasapuram. The related activity which has been planned in Sreekaryam is yet to begin. The work in Kesavadasapuram included repairing a damaged stretch near the roundabout which had been caused due to a leakage in the sewerage line.
The Roads and Bridges wing has also completed a major portion of their allotted works. “While major tarring works will be taken up only after the monsoon, potholes were currently being filled using an instant repair premix,” another source said.
