KOCHI: A narrow lane near St Michael’s Church in Chembumukku, which once served as a crucial shortcut for students heading to Assisi Vidyaniketan Public School, has been rebuilt twice in three years after repeatedly collapsing into an adjoining canal. Yet, with the monsoon arriving and schools set to reopen, concerns linger over whether the stretch will be fully ready in time.
The lane, which connects the church area to the school, first gave way in 2022 when a portion sank into the nearby Edappally Canal, rendering it unusable.
Former councillor K X Simon, said the municipality floated a tender and assigned a contractor to reconstruct the road. Though the work was completed by February 2024, relief proved short-lived. “Within a few months, cracks began appearing on the road, and during the monsoon, the stretch was destroyed again. This time, completely,” Simon said.
Shobha Philip, a local resident, recalled the incident. “It happened early in the morning, thus evading a major incident. But the road’s collapse was hugely inconvenient to nearly a dozen families on this stretch,” she said.
Former councillor Shaji Varghese, who represented the ward where the road is located, said the collapse worsened after the cleaning of Edappally Canal. “The work loosened the soil around the stretch, eventually leading to its collapse,” Shaji said. “The contractor redid the work under the old budget. Additional funding was later sanctioned only for piling, which became necessary to strengthen the road.”
The stretch was recently reopened and is now motorable, but finishing work remains incomplete.
The current ward councillor, Rexy Shiju, said authorities have opted for concreting instead of tiling to reduce water seepage beneath the surface, which was among the reasons cited for the earlier collapse.
“The road can accommodate vehicles now, though not heavy ones. A portion of the retaining wall and the concrete work are pending. Once funds are granted, the work will begin immediately,” she said, adding that the final work is unlikely to be completed before the start of the academic year.
A local contractor that TNIE spoke to also pointed out that carrying out the work during the monsoon would not be practical. According to him, the next window for any work to be possible is closer to Onam.
It is also learnt that municipal authorities are also awaiting clarity on a survey involving church land to determine the extent of the finishing work, Simon explained.
For residents and school authorities, the unfinished road remains a worry. “During rains, the stretch becomes waterlogged and muddy, making it dangerous, especially schoolchildren, and increasing accident risks,” said Suma Paul, Assisi Vidyaniketan principal.