KOCHI: The residents of Moolampilly, who faced the aftermath of one of the widely-discussed eviction drives for a major infrastructure development project in the city, are still not free from the negligence of the authorities, it seems.
The state of the service road near the Moolampilly bridge, which connects ward nos 8 and 9 of Moolampilly, itself is a striking example of the level of neglect that they are facing. The service road of the Moolampilly bridge is in a dilapidated condition with big pools and severe waterlogging and gutters that not only offer the commuters a bumpy drive, but also makes it a herculean task to travel through it.
The Moolampilly bridge was constructed after projecting it as a major thrust for the infrastructure development of the state.
The alternative way for the residents to travel between wards 8 and ward 9, which are separated by the bridge, is to take a temporary passage under the bridge. But the height of the passage is only 5 metres and because of waste-dumping and waterlogging, travelling through this narrow passage is almost a nightmare for many, especially during the night. The church and stationery stores are situated on the other side of the bridge and so the residents from the area near Moolampilly ferry will have to cross the narrow passage frequently .
“Remember, the residents of Moolampilly are victims of a forceful eviction drive. It is on the northern side that nearly 13 evicted families are rehabilitated. But now they are not even provided basic infrastructure facilities and also they are deprived of the right to travel, which is a violation of human rights,” said Edappally block panchayat member Alex Manavalan.
The gap under the bridge was supposed to be filled by the contractors after the construction of the bridge. “It was the responsibility of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to remodel the service road after the construction of the Moolampilly bridge, which is a major point along the Vallarpadam Container Terminal Road. But even after many submissions and complaints, the NHAI is yet to carry out the restoration works. The bridge was commissioned six years ago, and they have not even done the basic tarring works here,” said Robert Mendezi, the ward president of 8th division, Moolampilly.
He said that there is not even a canal in the service road which is the major reason for the waterlogging. “Also, the vacant area beneath the bridge is a safe haven for anti-socials during the night,” added Robert.
The service road is also the only way for the people coming from ‘thurthu’ (small islands) like Pizhala and Cheriya Kadamakkudy who have to depend on the ferry service to Moolampilly to reach the city.
Stir Planned
Alex said that if the authorities did not take the necessary steps to repair the road, the residents, as well as civic administrators, irrespective of political differences, would launch stringent protests. “We are thinking of staging a protest dharna as well as blockade of the road,” he said.
