Potholes and undulations abound on Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road that is maintained by the Greater Cochin Development Authority, endangering road users. | Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
Motorists and pedestrians are having a harrowing time since innumerable roads and bridges maintained by the Kochi Corporation, GCDA, PWD, and NHAI are in a dilapidated condition, due to inadequate pre-monsoon maintenance works.
The recent spate of rain and subsequent water logging – including over bridges and their embankments, have made their condition worse.
The Vyttila-Kunnara Park stretch of Vyttila-Pettah Road – maintained by the PWD (Roads wing) is amongst the worst in the city, since neither the PWD, nor KWA that trenched it for pipelaying works, has bothered to at least temporarily restore it. This has resulted in vehicles coming from Tripunithura side often entering the wrong side of the road to avoid the trenched portion and the dislodged paver blocks. The PWD is already under fire for not readying a project to widen the narrow, two-lane stretch, since it is flanked by four-lane roads on either side.
The chairman of Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Resisdents’ Association (TRURA), V.P. Prasad expressed shock at the shoddy condition of the road and the similar plight of innumerable roads in and around Tripunithura. “Even recently tarred roads have given away, which shows the inferior quality of the works. An apt example is the 2-km-long thickly populated Kannankulangara-Pavankulangara Road that was resurfaced under ‘Rebuild Kerala’ initiative for over ₹1 crore,” he said.
The PWD (NH wing) has been facing considerable flak for shoddy upkeep of the 2-km-long Kundannur-Thevara Bridge, where undulations and potholes were causing accidents and traffic hold ups. Potholes that developed on the congested Kundanoor-Maradu Road too was a cause of concern.
A senior official of the agency said patch works on the bridge and the road would be completed in a few days time.
Chitoor Road
The arterial Chitoor Road in the city that is maintained by the Kochi Corporation is amongst the corridors where motorists are caught unawares by potholes. There are also innumerable side roads maintained by the agency that are crying for upkeep, due to non-execution of pre-monsoon maintenance works. With the civic agency not readying a mobile patch-work unit, the fear is rife that they would suffer further damage during the impending monsoons.
Mayor M. Anilkumar said roads would be repaired on an emergency basis once the rain subsides. “Efforts are now underway to desilt drains and canals to prevent water logging,” he said.
