The State government has allocated Rs.48 lakh for the immediate restoration and improvement of 14 damaged roads and drains within the Kozhikode Corporation.
The civic body and the district wing of the Public Works Department (PWD) had come under public criticism after a middle-aged woman, Ayesha Bi, was killed after falling into an open drain in May.
The order, issued by the Disaster Management Department, says that the amount has been released to conduct “urgent” repairs of damages suffered during the monsoon of 2012.
It said the sum had been allocated as part of the government’s flood relief efforts for the district. Besides, the July-12 order has put the primary responsibility to conduct the repairs on the Corporation in consultation with the PWD.
The repair projects include two separate renovation works of drains and footpaths in Kinnassery and re-construction of footpaths and roads in the costal regions of Mukhadar, Kuttichira, Payyanakkal, Francis Road, Panniyankara, Kommeri, Mankavu, Palat Nagar, Puthiyapalam and Chalappuram.
This is the third such order passed by the government to upgrade the roads in the district.
The Fisheries and Ports Department has also given administrative sanction for renovation work on coastal roads, to be completed within the year by the Harbour Engineering department.
The department had allocated a total fund of Rs.2.16 crore to upgrade seven arterial roads running along the district’s coastline on May 16 and 17. Following this, the Fisheries Department has also released another Rs.47.40 lakh to the district on July 5. In the July-5 directive, the department had ordered the renovation of Katchery-Naduthuruthy Palam Road in the picturesque coastal panchayat of Thalakulathur here. On May 16, Rs.60.60 lakh was allocated for Gurukulam Beach Road connecting Valiyathodu and Cheriyathodu at Koyilandy municipality.
This order had sanctioned development work on roads located in the fishing hubs of Moodadi and Chengottukavu located in Panthalayani block panchayat, Payyoli area in Melady block panchayat, and Koyilandy municipality here. In the May-17 order, the government had sanctioned improvement work on a coastal road linking Beypore fishing harbour to the Kozhikode city at a cost of Rs.29 lakh.
