KOCHI: Several roads in the city are pothole-ridden owing to heavy rain, lack of maintenance and shoddy repair. Pandit Karuppan Road, Subhash Chandrabose Road, Ravipuram-Kadavanthra -Gandhi Nagar Road and Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road have borne the brunt of monsoon and they are in a pretty bad shape.
Adding to the woes of residents and commuters is the blame game of authorities. While Kochi Corporation blames Kerala Water Authority (KWA), Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is pointing fingers at Kochi Corporation. Speaking about the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, which has become a dangerous stretch for commuters, GCDA chairman V Saleem said that the potholes were being filled. “The government has allotted funds and has given administrative sanction. After the monsoon, we will work on the stretch.” The road from Kathrikadavu bridge to Kadavanthra is to be relaid, he added.
Several roads were also dug up by KWA for laying pipelines. A few days ago, Mayor Soumini Jain and councillors had protested against the KWA for the delay in repairing roads that were dug up.
Deputy Mayor T J Vinod said several roads were damaged because of KWA work. “Gandhi Nagar Road will soon be re-tarred. It was asphalted during the last local-body elections,” he said. Kochi Corporation is also planning to carry out road repairs in a few parts of the city, he added.
Public Works Department Principal Secretary Kamala Vardhana Rao said using modern technology to lay roads is necessary.
He said the 24-km Ambalapuzha-Tiruvalla stretch was laid using geotextiles. This technology improves soil structure and prevents damage, he added.
Upendra Narayan, former member of Kerala and Tamil Nadu State Road Safety Council and Indian Roads Congress, said violation of the code of practices and manuals should not be allowed by authorities. Quality Control Engineers should be present at the work site, he said.
Residents’ Assns’ plea
According to Rangadasa Prabhu, president of Ernakulam District Residents’ Associations’ Apex Council, immediate filling of potholes in the initial stage is the easiest solution. “If it is not filled initially, it turns into a deadly pothole putting the lives of commuters in jeopardy,” he said.