Thrissur city and neighbouring areas witnessed unprecedented traffic block on Wednesday after the city Corporation took up felling of trees at Divanji corner at Puthole as part of overbridge development.
Despite the traffic police’s demand to fell the trees on holidays alone, the Corporation started cutting the trees from morning, saying that it was difficult to get workers on holidays.
Since morning
The traffic through the overbridge was disrupted from the morning and the chaos spread to neighbouring roads too. Office-goers and schoolchildren were stranded for hours.
Roads leading to the KSRTC stand and railway station were totally blocked. Patturaikkal, Punkunnam and Sankarayyar junction too witnessed blocks.
Autorickshaw drivers refused rides as the chaos worsened, causing much hardship to people. The traffic police had a tough time managing traffic. Later the issue was partially solved by allowing one-way traffic though Puthole overbridge.
Traffic sub-inspector Mahendra Simhan said the Traffic police had issued written directions to the Corporation to fell trees only on holidays. The corporation sources, however, said despite them informing the Traffic police about the plan to cut trees in advance, they didn’t make any arrangements.
At a meeting attended by Mayor Ajitha Jayarajan, Deputy Mayor Varghese Kadamkulathy and City Police Assistant Commissioner K.P. Jose, it was decided that trees would henceforth be cut only on holidays.
