The Sarovaram Bio-Park road was developed as a model road in the city in 2012 for better access to the tourism spot. Now, wayside mechanics have usurped its sides. Vehicle spare parts and oil wastes are found dumped on both sides of the road.
Though the police had initially pulled up the mechanics, the drive did not last long. In the absence of routine checking, the workers resumed their thriving business.
The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) road was taken over by the Tourism Department and was sanctioned Rs.3 crore for its development to the status of the city’s first model road. It took nearly three years to develop the road and make it the main entry to the bio-park.
“Since the opening of the road, there have been attempts to spoil it through unauthorised parking and dumping of wastes. Complaints to the police evoke no favourable response,” says A. Pradeepkumar, MLA.
Before the road was renovated, it was in a thoroughly neglected state. Encroachment was the main hurdle to its widening and beautification. A major portion of the tiled walkways was constructed after clearing the encroachments during the tenure of the Left Democratic Font (LDF)-led government. “If proper care is not taken the road will slowly disintegrate. People have also started dumping wastes, taking advantage of the authorities’ apathy,” says P.V. Baburaj, a resident. Frequent digging up of tiled walkways for temporary works should be stopped, he says.
The road’s bad condition is also likely to affect the proposed ‘sayahna chantha’ (evening market) project planned on either side of the road for promoting tourism. Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar had earlier promised a separate fund for the project during the formal opening of the renovated road.
