Jessing47
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Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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 Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:21 am Post subject: Potholes galore on city roads |
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Potholes on many roads in the city are yet to be filled despite the recent promise made by Fisheries Minister S. Sarma of re-laying damaged roads in the district. A classic example is the Kaloor-Kadavanthra road, which continues to be dotted by huge potholes. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has not filled them despite it being a crucial arterial road that provides south-north connectivity.
Neither has it readied the 3-km stretch for heavy maintenance work. The Kerala Water Authority, which dug up a portion of the road for laying pipelines, has not provided funds for repair on time. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), already under fire for not completing widening of the Vytilla-Aroor stretch of the NH 47 bypass to four lanes, has not filled any of the potholes.
This despite the fact that it has not been raining for two weeks, till Friday. The situation is particularly bad at Kundanoor Junction and near the bridges on the stretch. The Kundanoor bridge has become accident prone because of the top layer giving away at many points. The situation is not better on the NH stretch from Vytilla to Aluva. Delay in surfacing the patches metalled a week ago has resulted in rainwater stagnating in the undulations, posing a threat of making the holes bigger. As on Sunday, potholes remained at Pallimukku, Menaka and Valanjambalam. Roads in west Kochi and Thripunithura too are in a bad shape.
The condition of side roads is also bad. The Kochi Corporation is now focussed on repairing roads on bus routes, leaving residents at the mercy of ill-maintained side roads. Sadly, though most roads in the city have drains, water from the tarred portion does not empty into these. This is either because there is inadequate slant for the water to flow towards the drains or because of the absence of holes which carry water to the drains. Officials admit that civic agencies and the Public Works Department (PWD) have been re-lying roads on archaic modes. This means the work takes a longer time. Despite talks of carrying out the work on an emergency basis, no urgency can be seen at worksites.
Directing the government to take urgent remedial action, the Kerala High Court had asked the agencies concerned to find out if inadequate drainage provisions were hastening the deterioration of roads. This followed many public-interest litigations. Dozens of people(including the residents of Kerala flats, including children, had lost their lives in the State this year after being thrown off their vehicles on bad roads. |
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