KOCHI: The Public Works Department (PWD) has dug up roads at Ravipuram for the renovation of an underground culvert, putting motorists and pedestrians in a tough spot. Shop owners in the area complained that the PWD started work without providing any intimation. “Out of the blue, one day when I came to open my shop, the roads were dug up,” said Mathew Joseph, owner of a mattress store in Ravipuram.
“For the past several weeks, the work has been paused halfway. This has caused several road accidents here last month,” he added. The unfinished road work has also led to traffic snarls. “Since the roads are dug up, passing through here any time of the day is tiresome. I am forced to take a longer route to reach my office in Ernakulam, and that is costing me more fuel and time,” said Mohammed Anaz, a salesman at a textile showroom in the city.
Last week’s has also led to waterlogging on the stretch. S Sasikala, the area councillor, alleged that PWD officials didn’t inform her about the work. She came to know about it only after people started complaining. “I came to know about the work only when the area started experiencing waterlogging last week. When contacted, they told me a few areas were blocked due to the ongoing work.
When I asked them about the completion of the work, they failed to give me a specific time or details,” she added. However, the PWD engineer said the work will be completed by the end of this month. “Two weeks will be the curing period. Further work will begin by the end of this week. Considering the concerns of the public, we dug the central area after completing the work on either side of the road, to facilitate the movement of vehicles,” an official said.
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight is a space for cityfolk to speak up on issues bothering them. Our reporters go around town, identifying everything from parking woes to broken pipes and dug-up drainages, and bring it to the attention of authorities concerned. Have a problem you would like us to raise? Write to: cityexpresskoc@gmail.com