Road Repair Claim an Eyewash, Going Gets Tough For Motorists
KOCHI: Even as the authorities claim that repair of damaged roads has commenced, the ground reality seems to be different. There is a lot of criticism about the work being carried out in certain places.
Glaring potholes and bumps still mark the roads at major junctions like Vyttila, Palarivattom and Kundannoor. Several portions of MG Road and SA Road are not motorable even now. So is the Kaloor-Kadavanthra road. The Aroor-Vyttila stretch is still a nightmare for motorists despite the tall claims by the NHAI.
“Before Onam, the PWD, NHAI, DMRC and the Corporation said they were waiting for a bit of sunshine to start the repair work. The sun is out but there’s no sign of repair work,” said Corporation councillor Thampi Subramaniyam, who had petitioned before the Revenue Divisional Officer regarding roads in West Kochi. In response to his complaint and those from others, the RDO had ordered the agencies concerned to repair roads before September 25.
If the agencies do not act immediately, it would be hard to meet the deadline, said Thampi.
In fact, recent incidents prove that fixing deadlines for road repair alone is not enough to solve the problems. Before the RDM order, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had given an ultimatum on road repair in Kochi, the deadline of which was September 3. The District Collector had even ordered the NHAI to stop toll collection on the Aroor-Kumbalam bridge if the repairs could not be done in time.
Though the decision was revoked a few days ago after the NHAI stated that the repairs were done, the stretch is still a nightmare for the public.