With Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and the Kochi Corporation deflecting blame, the pavements on M.G. Road are likely to be left in a sorry state.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had covered the pavements with slabs and interlocking tiles.
But according to corporation officials, the agency had failed to provide holes to enable cleaning of drains beneath them.
Corpn. begins work
After having approached KMRL to help with removing the slabs and tiles on the pavements with no positive response, the civic body has begun work on removing the slabs and tiles to clean the drains.
“The slabs will be put back, but the broken tiles will have to be taken care of by the Public Works Department later, since it is their road,” said P.M. Harris, chairman, corporation works standing committee.
At a meeting held last month, it was agreed that KMRL would help lift the slabs and tiles, and the corporation would clean the drain, said T.J. Vinod, MLA.
According to sources, any liability on the pavements will be taken up by the metro agency only within two years of it being handed over to the PWD in 2017. With that liability period expiring in 2019, the pavements are no longer the agency’s responsibility.
“If the drains along M.G. Road are cleaned, we can resolve waterlogging to a certain extent. If not manholes, at least more hooks should have been provided to lift the slabs. So much was already spent on paving the footpaths, now they will have to be fixed again,” said K.V.P. Krishnakumar who represents Ernakulam South.
Hand of help
In a release on Friday, KMRL said it had assisted local bodies with respect to the drains and footpath on the Kaloor-M.G. Road stretch, improving the footpath on the Kaloor-Edappally stretch, and the construction of a cross-drain at Changampuzha Park based on decisions taken by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) at various meetings.
District Collector S. Suhas said the work under Operation Breakthrough would be successful only if the drainage network in the city was cleaned up. The project will help avoid waterlogging to an extent, at least by around 40% to 50%, he added.
Meanwhile, KMRL started the construction of a cross-stream drain connecting Changadampokku Thodu and Karanakodam Thodu near the Jawaharlal Nehru metro station on Friday.
The roughly 145-metre drain and crossing will cost ₹30 lakh.
The construction work was kicked off by the District Collector. He said KMRL was carrying out the work as per a decision taken by the DDMA.
Waterlogging
“We are planning to complete the construction by June 10. We hope the construction of the drain will ease waterlogging at the location,” said KMRL managing director Alkesh Kumar Sharma.
The decision to go ahead with the project was taken at a DDMA meeting convened by Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, who is in charge of Ernakulam district, on April 24.
A special team of KMRL dedicated to pre-monsoon work is also assisting the Operation Breakthrough project of the district administration.
