KOCHI
: As monsoon begins next month, Kochi’s commuters and students are gearing up for a hard ride as many roads in city and its suburbs are still in a pathetic state. Many of them, dug up earlier by Kerala Water Authority and KSEB for their respective works, have not been repaired and model code of conduct was cited as one reason why the work was delayed. At the same time, potholed-filled roads would also increase the risk of accidents during rainy season.
Next week, Sacred Heart school at Thevara will reopen after summer holidays and vehicles transporting students will encounter a
bumpy ride
through
Pandit Karuppan
Road, which has been reduced to pebbles. Kochi corporation, which owns the road, has done nothing to improve its condition.
“The bad condition of this road has not changed for over a month. Vehicles move frequently through it, blowing dust. Mud and gravel enter shops, houses and other establishments located on the road,” said Sreekumar Madhavan, a bookstore owner at Thevara. He said that shopkeepers and residents are forced to sprinkle water on the road to reduce the effect of dust-filled winds.
Traders say that they cannot close the doors to their shops as it might drive customers away. “It is an hour’s work every morning to sweep the dust off the road, collect it in cardboard boxes and disposed later. This work has been a huge inconvenience both to people and my business,” he added.
Residents admitted that the situation would worsen when monsoon begins. Due to the construction of flyovers at Kundanoor and Vyttila junctions, motorists take a detour through Pandit Karuppan Road.
Saleem CA, a fruit and vegetable shopkeeper, said: “The plan to lay gas pipelines is one of the major reasons for not undertaking road relaying works. The dust on the road leave a thin film of grime on fruits and vegetables; naturally no one wishes to buy dustcovered fruits and vegetables. It is a loss for people like us.”
The situation on Subhash Chandra Bose Road is not much different. The road is a major link between Vyttila Junction and the city. Ever since the construction of Vyttila flyover began, traffic has been rerouted through this road.
“The number of vehicles taking this road has increased. Congestion on Sahodharan Ayyappan Road has forced many motorists to opt for this route. Passengers have started to complain about the bumpy ride. It is difficult for motorists to give way to another vehicle coming in the opposite direction,” said Tamizhmani, a shopkeeper.
Two-wheelers and
auto rickshaw
drivers too complain of backpain and breathing ailments. Though Subash Chandra Bose Road is wide, due to the pipeline works, the width of motorable space has reduced considerably.
When it comes to Aroor-Thoppumpady road, which links the southern districts with Kochi, PWD has not taken up road relaying works. Motorists heading to the city use the stretch of the state highway to avoid the congestion at Kundanoor Junction.
“If the road is not repaired before monsoon, the city will witness severe traffic blocks and congestion. School reopening will increase the movement of traffic in city,” said Naveen Thomas, a resident of Edakochi.
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