Kumbalam underpass filled with muddy water for years

Kochi: Hundreds of people heading to Kumbalam railway station face a messy and dangerous problem daily. While the underpass beneath the NH bypass stays filled with muddy water, even during the hottest summer days, the deep potholes formed on one side of the road are posing a danger to the motorists."As the underpass is always flooded, drivers cannot see the deep potholes that have formed on one side of the road," said Babu Thottavattom, an autorickshaw driver. Motorcyclists are at the highest risk. "Vehicles get caught off guard all the time. One side of the road at the underpass which is filled with water is basically a trap. The locals have placed poles to warn the motorists." Babu added. The issue has been persisting for the past several years, but no action is being taken, with Kumbalam grama panchayat and National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) blaming each other. "NHAI built the underpass and the connecting drain poorly. Since the infrastructure is built by them, they should fix the issue. We are writing to NHAI authorities, demanding the immediate repair of the infrastructure facility," Kumbalam grama panchayat president Razeena Salam told TOI. According to her, NHAI built the drain to carry water to a nearby river, but the drain is too low. Instead of the water flowing out, the river water flows into the underpass whenever there is a high tide. This means the area stays flooded all year round. When contacted, a senior NHAI official said they can't raise the road, because then trucks wouldn't be able to fit under the bridge. They said the grama panchayat should take measures to mitigate waterlogging during high tide periods.Meanwhile, to avoid wading through the filth, many pedestrians and cyclists climb the steep staircases to NH bypass above and then dodge high-speed traffic to cross the road before descending the stairs on the other side.