KOCHI: Citing a lack of post-work supervision, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday observed that the footpaths on major roads in the city are deteriorating and pedestrians are unable to walk safely.
While hearing a petition, the HC observed that the tiles laid on the footpath by Cochin Smart Mission Limited were dislodged and the bollards damaged.
“After the completion of the work, there has been no supervision. As a result, the major roads in the city are deteriorating, and pedestrians are unable to walk safely,” the court said, adding that footpaths on MG Road, which serve as the lifeline of the city, are also in a pathetic condition.
“I am voicing the citizen’s voice. Nothing else,” Justice Devan Ramachandran said while hearing a petition.
The court said the MG Road is in a mess. “There is no point in having a road without a pedestrian space. Those in power are travelling by car, disconnected from the struggles of pedestrians. Let us designate a pedestrian day on MG Road in Kochi. The monsoon season is approaching, and several slabs remain open along parts of the road. What will happen when flooding occurs,” asked the court. It also criticised the authorities for the delay in completing the Mullassery Canal Road project, which is intended to address inundation in the city.
Saying that the city managed to withstand the last two monsoons reasonably well, the HC said, “However, the court has no information regarding the preparations to prevent flooding during the upcoming monsoon. The high-level committee constituted by the court, headed by the district collector, was established with the hopeful expectation that it would address annual requirements without the need for further court intervention. The monsoon is reportedly set to arrive in a few days,” the court noted.
The counsel for the Kochi corporation said a comprehensive report with regard to the preparation will be filed on the next posting date.
The court said citizens cannot be put in peril through inundation and unnecessary waterlogging due to inaction of the authorities.
K V Manoj Kumar, senior government pleader, said work on the footpath of MG Road is going on and it will become usable by June 30.
The court directed the CSML to file a report in this regard and posed the hearing for Friday.