Despite best efforts of the authorities, the waterlogging on Mavoor Road and surrounding areas may continue for another season, as the much-hyped drainage project was left incomplete owing to public pressure.
The drainage work on Mavoor Road has been completed on time and the road was opened to traffic on Friday. However, the exit of the drainage planned into the Connolly Canal through Azhakodi was stopped as local people expressed anxiety regarding the project and its effectiveness. Their first concern is that the drainage may carry toilet waste as well, apart from rain water from the roads, which may pollute groundwater. Another is that the project design is faulty, and finally, they are suspicious of why the trenching at Azhakodi started at night.
Project Officer of the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) K. Mohan says that the anxieties of the public are baseless. “The drain is built in thick concrete and there is no chance of seepage. They will carry only water from the roads and it is not linked to any other sources,” he says.
‘Trusted agency’
He adds that the project was designed by WAPCOS, a trusted agency of the government of India and was double-checked by local engineers and other experts.
“There is no reason to suspect us for working at night. Most of the work on Mavoor Road was done at night when the traffic was minimal. That is when we get maximum output,” he says. The KSUDP had promised to start the digging from the mini-bypass side. But later on, they started digging from Azhakodi and this triggered doubts. “We were only trying to save time,” Mr. Mohan says.
‘Confusing the public’
The Project Manager also complains that some vested interests were injecting unnecessary confusion into the minds of the residents. People who come to the meetings are not the ones actually at stake, he says. The KSUDP is at present trying to convince the local people to start work in a couple of days.
It may take more than a week to construct the drain connecting Azhakodi Cross Road and Mini bypass Road. It will take another two months to take it across the mini-bypass road. With the monsoon fast approaching, the work will not be completed soon enough. It may get even more delayed if the contractor pulls back. Delay may also affect the funding from the Asian Development Bank, Mr. Mohan says.
