KOCHI: The stretch from Pandit Karuppan Road to Thevara bridge, which was dug up for laying pipelines by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) in January, is in a shambles. This is causing hardships to residents and commuters with accidents being a common sight here. Recently, the residents of Pandit Karuppan Road took out a protest march from Thevara Ferry junction to Mattammal.The KWA dug up the stretch to replace 60-year-old pipelines.
According to the officials, the delay in providing water connections aggravated the issue. “I used to travel through the stretch at least thrice a day. The bad condition of the road is affecting my health. Now, I avoid the road," says Valsaraj, a contractor.
He adds the issue was bought to the attention of Mayor Soumini Jain. “She said the contract and funds have been approved. Still, the work has been delayed. As for providing water connection, the authorities should have pre-planned it,” he adds. The road is also being used frequently by the students of Sacred Heart College, Higher Secondary School and CMI Public School.
According to Elizabeth, ward councillor, the repair work will commence soon. She added that works were delayed due to a miscalculation on the part of authorities regarding the number of connections. “Also, the contractor is not able to carry out the work during the morning due to people’s protest. So they are forced to work at night and most of them aren’t willing to do it. We understand the public’s difficulty, but if the works aren’t done properly, the roads will have to be dug again. There will be a shortage of water too,” adds Elizabeth.