THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Balaramapuram’s Shaliyar street is known for its famed handloom products. It is also promoted as a heritage tourism location by the government. However, on a rainy day, the street is waterlogged. Balaramapuram panchayat president Vasantha Kumari has an explanation for this sorry state. “That part of the road, where we enter the highway directly, is still private property,” she said.
“We have been holding meetings with the residents to solve the issue, but there are disagreements. At the entrance through the Balaramapuram-Vizhinjam route, where we enter through the double street, the roads are interlocked. The residents handed over the road to the panchayat and we were able to make a motorable road,” she said.
Sure enough, just at the entrance of Shaliyar street, the interlocked road ends. There are small cobble-stoned walkways on the sides. However, in many places, these are waterlogged. “Many who do business here are residents. There are only a few outsiders. However, the road plays a big role in business. This Onam, we had a difficult sale as it was raining and the road was in poor condition. Even locals hesitate to enter the road. Who wants to go home in knee-deep mud?” said a textile owner.
Summer woes
In summer, the trouble is entirely different. The road will be dusty and one cannot walk through without covering their face with a handkerchief.