KOCHI: Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said on Tuesday that 30,000 km of roads under the Public Works Department in the state will be made pothole-free. He was speaking while interacting with reporters in Kochi on Tuesday. “Efforts are on to make a 30,000 km stretch in pothole-free.
Our effort is to make the road 100 % pothole-free,” said the minister. He further said the state government has started a mission to upgrade 50% of its roads to BMBC standards by the end of 2026. “In Ernakulam district, PWD has 2,964 km. Out of this, 1,785 km of roads have already been upgraded to BMBC standards. We are moving in the right direction.
If all goes as planned, 15,000 km of road will be upgraded to BMBC standard,” the minister said. The minister said the pre-monsoon maintenance work in the state will be completed by May 15.
“The work including clearing of drainages and pothole filling has already started. In order to review the progress, a special inspection will be conducted in all the stretches,” the minister said, adding that the running contract system is a huge success in the upkeep of the roads. He said a panel for contract workers will be set up to address their grievances.