KOCHI: Narrow roads and traffic congestion have for long been the bane of development in Kochi. Even as projects like the metro rail and water metro services, and wide road developments take place in the periphery -- and largely benefit the suburbs -- city roads have more or less remained unchanged. To add to the woes, several key projects appear to have faded into history.
A 30-year-old plan for a 4.5-km-long road extending from the Goshree bridge region to Pottakuzhi, Mamangalam and Palarivattom -- running parallel to the busy Banerji Road -- is a case in point. The proposal was first mooted in 1995, by the then government led by Chief Minister K Karunakaran, as a solution to the traffic congestion that the growing city would face in future. But three decades down the line, it is not even talked about.
“The project was crucial for the city’s development. We have seen road-widening projects not materialising in Kochi despite dire demand. The area from Chathiyath Road to Mamangalam was marked out for the project, and the state government placed cost estimates at `390 crore.
For a long time, several development projects were shelved to facilitate land acquisition for the stretch. Now, most stakeholders do not care anymore,” said George Kattunilath, president of the Greater Cochin Development Watch, a citizens’ collective.
Although the project appeared in the annual plans of Kochi corporation and GCDA, it was never initiated over cost of implementation and difficulties in land acquisition.
The project now does not find even a mention among proposals of the Public Works Department (PWD) or the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala, which was entrusted with preparing a detailed project report (DPR) in the 2021 state budget.
Currently, there is a 2km road from Chathiyath Junction to Pachalam Railway over bridge, and extensions to Pottakuzhi Junction and Mamangalam. But these are narrow stretches that cannot solve the traffic congestion on Banerji Road.
Last week, as Banerji Road was closed off for the visit and road show of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many motorists took to these narrow lanes, leading to gridlock in the area.
“Land acquisition for the project will be an arduous task, affecting nearly 2,000 families. This has been cited for not taking up the project. Many stretches of the proposed road have since been developed, but some still remain extremely narrow,” deputy mayor Deepak Joy said.