Residents at work: Assn shows way to repair road

KOCHI: With authorities turning a blind eye on the poor condition of roads in the city, citizens are now 'fixing' the problem themselves.
On Wednesday morning, a group of citizens, under the banner of Vypeen Island Two-wheelers and Four-wheelers Association (VITA), decided to take matters into their hands and fill the 'menacing' potholes on one of the Goshree bridges, connecting Vypeen and Vallarpadam.
The bridges, which were constructed by the Goshree Island Development Authority (Gida), have not been asphalted or repaired since they were built in 2004.
The road work was done as part of VITA's programme titled 'A Stitch in Time', which aims to carry out small works such as the road repair on the Goshree bridge.
"For months, motorists have been forced to 'manoeuvre' through the bridge, riddled with potholes, especially at the girder joints. This has resulted in quite a few minor accidents for two-wheelers. In October, we approached Gida and demanded they carry out the work at the earliest. They had promised to begin the work in a week, but two months later, we felt that it was high time we did the job ourselves," said P D Varghese, president of VITA.
The road repair work began at 11am in the morning and went on till 4pm, and was carried out under the supervision of VITA member Mangalath Titus, a PWD contractor. Many association members were also present on the bridge to coordinate traffic, and organize the work so as to complete it in a time-bound manner with little or no hindrance to motorists.
"We decided to start work after the morning rush hour. Throughout the day, association members took turns to manage traffic and oversee the work," said VITA member Rajeev Gopal D Komath. They hired a road-roller for the purpose and the money for the repair work came from association funds pooled from its 78 members.
The association declined to disclose the money spent, saying it was part of their social responsibility.
Motorists were surprised but happy to see that someone had taken responsibility to carry out the much-needed work on the bridge. "This road is risky, especially if you are in a hurry. I've nearly fallen a few times due to large potholes. It's nice to see that citizens carry out such works for the benefit of people. It also highlights the apathy of authorities responsible for ensuring that the brides are in good condition. I hope this is an eye-opener for authorities," said Johnson Joseph, an IT professional from Vypeen who takes the bridge on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, Gida officials said that they were waiting for the PWD to give them an estimate for the work. "Gida does not carry out the work directly. Rather, we approach the local body or the PWD and request them to give us an estimate for the work. This is approved and the work carried out. We had asked the PWD to give us an estimate, but we have not received the same. That's why we have not been able to carry out the work so far," said S Shaji, town planning department, Gida.