Complaints are on the rise against the poor quality of re-tarring works recently completed in various parts of Kozhikode district.
Residents are irked by the condition of smaller roads which were dug up for laying pipes in the rural areas of the district and the outskirts of the city corporation. Many of them have demanded the reinspection of roads by a high-level committee to check the quality of completed works. Local citizens’ forums have also been considering blocking of roads to register their protest and press for their demands.
“Many roads which were earlier dug up for pipe-laying work have not been properly re-tarred. The condition of many such re-tarred roads connecting the Kozhikode-Kannur road and the Kozhikode bypass within the City Corporation is proof that such patch works will not be completed with perfection,” said N. Jagadeesh, a resident of Vengali. The saddest thing was that many such roads were in good condition before the pipe-laying work, he added.
The stretch between the checkpost and Adivaram in Thamarassery, where the first phase of tarring was completed recently, has developed many potholes and cracks. The local residents said the shoddy work could lead to a rise in the number of accidents.
A local action committee leader from Thamarassery said many residents remained silent about such issues afraid of hostile action from road workers. Political reasons also discouraged people from taking up such issues with the authorities, he added.
Meanwhile, Public Works Department (PWD) sources said any complaints related to the quality of work could be communicated to the department for prompt action.
