Pothole worries after incessant rains

Kochi: Though the city did not get flooded this monsoon, the incessant rains have left several interior roads with potholes posing a threat to commuters. Ernakulam district received 362% excess rainfall in just four days--from September 28 morning to October 2, the district received 22cm rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 4.9cm. The rains did not lead to inundation in the city like they did on August 30, 2022, but they worsened the condition of several roads raising the risk of accidents and vehicle damage. Chittoor Road, Thammanam-Pullepady Road, P V Antony Road in front of Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Karshaka Road, Stadium Link Road, and byroads in Gandhinagar, Panampilly Nagar, and Kathrikadavu are the roads that have further deteriorated due to recent rains. Edappally Junction, Edappally- Kunnumpuram Junction, Thammanam Junction, are also dotted with potholes.The main roads in the city withstood the heavy rain thanks to the intensive drain and canal cleaning works carried out by the Kochi Corporation and the irrigation department soon after the rains flooded the roads last year.Though the local body had filled many potholes before the rains, the gravel used in premix has come out at many places. Sunitha Dixon, public works standing committee chairperson of the corporation admitted the condition of several interior roads in the city have worsened.“The roads get damaged when outlets are created to release water to the drains and then they are left unattended. Kochi has always faced waterlogging problems. But this year, we managed to prevent a flood like situation through concerted effort. We submit reports on the maintenance of roads every year. Potholes continue to appear on Chittoor Road despite carrying out repair works,” she said. A corporation official said the local body will carry out patchworks on roads where potholes have developed. “Rs 8-10 lakh will be spent on the patchworks on roads in each division. We have earmarked more money for patchworks on roads within the city limits. Only the council can take a decision on repairing the whole stretch of a road. It can be done after the councillors from each division report the matter to the council,” the official said. Experts said Kochi needs adaptation and mitigation methods in view of the climate change-induced erratic and extreme rain fall events.“We should first conduct social impact assessment studies to identify the sectors vulnerable to climate change and prioritize mitigation actions,” said Dr M G Manoj, scientist with the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research in Cusat.