Traders in Chala market have taken exception to the recent ‘surfacing work' carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) at Kothuval street, one of the busiest corridors in the commercial area.
The Kothuval bazaar unit of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) had written to the PWD Chief Executive Engineer and Transport Minister V.S. Sivakumar, who represents the constituency, highlighting the ‘shoddy work' done by the contractor.
A press note issued by unit general secretary Mohammed Sidheek said the surfacing of the road was done without repairing the drains on both sides. “The damaged drains are bound to overflow during the monsoon, leading to accumulation of waste water on the busy road. The clogged drains have not been cleaned and the broken slabs have not been replaced,” he said.
Mr. Sidheek said the work was substandard, leaving only a thin layer of bitumen. “There are complaints that the work failed to match the estimate figure,” he said.
The samithi had urged the PWD official in charge to visit the site and assess the quality of work.
The department had taken up the work following an agitation launched by the traders in June demanding the repair of the heavily damaged road which comes under the jurisdiction of the City Corporation.
The decision to take up the work under the Chief Minister's 100-day programme was taken after Mr. Sivakumar visited the street.
