Those living in low-lying areas try every trick in their bag to prevent water from reaching their doorstep, sometimes to comical results. The past week witnessed one such incident, when a few residents of a colony at Muttada tried constructing a bump at the entry point to their by-lane, to prevent water from the main lane flowing in. In their earnestness to fulfil their aim, they ended up constructing a big bump, which prevented them from taking their cars out. It also caused the main lane to get flooded, forcing the residents there to approach the city Corporation. The Corporation issued a ‘stop memo’ to prevent further construction. But the residents who constructed it in the first place, slyly flattened it a bit, so that they could take their cars out. As of now, the main lane gets flooded with every rain and both groups are sure to give headache to the Corporation in the coming days.
The neglect shown by authorities in properly restoring roads dug up for laying utilities is common in the State. The lackadaisical approach of the authorities often result in fatal accidents. The situation at the RMS junction along the Overbridge-Thampanoor road raises similar concerns. Motorists who make a dash to progress along the road as the traffic signal turns green are forced to apply brakes suddenly to negotiate a dip on the road surface. The unevenness is the result of improper restoration of the road after digging it up for the construction of a culvert as part of Operation Anantha. Coupled with the difficulty caused by the haphazard parking of KSRTC buses on the roadside, the unevenness has been hindering the smooth flow of traffic along the road.
The pathetic condition of the road from Nettayam to Kachani has made commuting along the stretch a miserable affair. The road is filled with potholes, thereby posing a serious threat to motorists, especially two-wheeler riders. After the onset of monsoon, the road at several points had started disintegrating in bits and pieces. At certain points the road has caved in, prompting irate residents to plant saplings in them as a mark of protest against official apathy. Residents say the condition of the road worsened after the Kerala Water Authority dug the road to lay pipelines from Aruvikkara to the Peroorkada and Vattiyurkavu areas. .
(Reporting by
S.R. Praveen, Sarath Babu George , and Rajesh B. Nair)
