Youngsters zig-zagging on superbikes have become a common sight these days along the National Highway bypass region between Vyttila and Edappally. With no major crackdown by the enforcement agencies, including the Motor Vehicles Department and the city traffic police, the superbike enthusiasts are enjoying a free ride at breakneck speed often gifting some tense moments for other motorists.
Several youths were spotted moving dangerously on the Vyttila-Palarivattom stretch in bikes with a high-decibel exhaust note over the last one week. No action could be initiated against the offenders as the cameras along the highway have stopped working for several days.
The Palarivattom-Kakkanad stretch and the Seaport-Airport Road are the other most sought after ‘racing’ points of the superbikers in town.
A remarkable concept
The District Metering Area (DMA) is a remarkable concept by the Kerala Water Authority to map its own network of pipelines. Even though it is only in its initial stage, it is an effort that has to be lauded.
The agency had faced a lot of brickbats for not having a map of pipelines in the city, when the Kochi Metro went digging around in the city to erect the pillars.
The ground work has been done by the Non-Revenue Water Management unit.
There are many water supply connections in the city that are not official. The idea of DMA is relevant here since it will give a clear picture on the water distribution network in the city.
Kaloor, Pallimukku and Vyttila sub-divisions have been included under the pilot project.
New tactics
The best way to tackle an Opposition attack in an elected body is to undermine its leader and a seasoned Congress councillor like T.J. Vinod know that only too well. When the Kochi Corporation Opposition leader K.J. Jacob attacked the “corrupt” council and Works Standing Committee chairperson Soumini Jain, who is in the eye of a storm, Mr. Vinod applied the same tactic. He waxed eloquent on the cordial relationship between the Opposition leader and Mayor Tony Chammany and praised him for raising key issues in the council.
However, Opposition councillor M. Anilkumar asked Mr. Vinod not to adopt diversionary tactics. “It’s all too evident that Vinod’s praise for the Opposition leader for raising the welfare pension issue was just to divert attention from the corruption allegations,” he said.
G. Krishnakumar,
Shyama Rajagopal
and M.P. Praveen
