The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala Water Authority (KWA) are indiscriminately trenching arterial and other busy roads in Kochi and suburban towns after a lull, causing severe inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.
The KSEB has trenched vast many roads in Palarivattom and in the vicinity of its Kaloor sub station, apart from a few other places in the city. The Vennala-Palachuvadu road that it trenched in mid-2019 to lay cables has not been properly restored, despite causing accidents and traffic disruptions. Dust emanating from dug-up stretches is another problem, causing respiratory problems to road users, residents and merchants.
The situation is such that people do not get to commute through good roads, since they are dug up during summer months and develop potholes during monsoon months.
Accidents
“Bus operators and two-wheeler riders are among the worst affected by the malady that roads in the district are witnessing, be it rain or shine,” said K.M. Navas, secretary of Kochi-based Kerala Bus Transport Association (KBTA). “Arterial roads dug up by KWA and KSEB have become all-too common in the city and suburbs like Aluva. Two-wheeler riders and others often brake suddenly or swerve to evade them, resulting in accidents. The KWA did not temporarily restore them well, even during Shivaratri, worsening snarls.”
Over half a dozen two-wheeler riders lost their life last year in the district in accidents related to dug-up or potholed roads.
Fed up with apathy of the two agencies and the PWD’s inordinate delay in resurfacing them, bus operators sent videos and photos of such corridors to the amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala High Court to file a report on the plight of Kochi’s roads. “On its part, the PWD must urgently procure a mobile patchwork repairing unit to restore roads before their condition turns from bad to worse. It can thus save the money and effort in restoring a bigger area,” Mr. Navas said.
Responding to the issue, a top KSEB official said the work on the gas-insulated sub station had necessitated digging up of roads at Kaloor, Palarivattom and other places. The work would go on till May-June, he added.
The roads dug up by KWA which have not been restored include Vyttila-Ponnurunni road, Narayanan Asan Road and the Alinchuvadu-Vennala road which is currently being trenched to lay pipelines under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation project being implemented by KWA. “Roads in Vyttila were handed over to PWD in January. Apparently, works related to Indian Navy delayed the resurfacing process,” said a KWA official.
The 1.5-km-long pipeline work in the Alinchuvadu-Vennala road (which runs parallel to NH Bypass) might be completed only by mid-April. Interconnection and testing work may take more time. Instructions would be issued to the contractor to temporarily restore the road for movement of vehicles in either direction, he said.
The PWD (roads wing) has begun restoration work of Vyttila-Ponnurunni road. “The KSEB has a week’s time more to complete cabling work in the Vennala-Palachuvadu corridor, following which the roads will be resurfaced. We have directed them to frequently sprinkle water on the dug up portion to curtail dust,” said sources in PWD.
