Even though the monsoon is at the doorsteps, the construction of the storm water drains in Thampanoor is still halfway through. The widening of the drains and removal of the solid waste clogged in them are yet to be completed.
The drains near the Ponnara Sreedhar Park in front of the railway station are kept open for the works. The intermittent rains in the city the other day caused water to flow into the open drains. A large pit has also been dug near the railway station which is filled with stagnant water.
In order to find a solution to the notorious flash floods of the Thampanoor area, the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) had allocated a fund of Rs one crore for the first phase. The work, which began on May 18, is being carried out by Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL).
“The work will be completed within one-and-a-half months. Anything other than public disturbances will not hinder the works in anyway. Work will be carried on despite the monsoon. Rain will not affect the progress of the work unless there is a flood,”said TRDCL project director Anil Kumar Pandala.
But floods are not a rare story here. Even a pipe-burst can cause flash floods. “I work in a government office nearby. It will be very difficult to walk through this place during the rainy season. The drainage overflow to the roads makes it difficult to separate drainage channels from roads,” said Shamsudeen, a regular commuter.
Adding to the woes, the work is causing problems for the pedestrians and those who depend on vehicles. “I have been an auto driver at Thampanoor for the past 28 years. Each year, the authorities come out with a master plan to check the flood witnessed here during the monsoon. We don’t have any hope that the present work
will conclude before the onset of monsoon,” said Rajesh.
“The works were supposed to be completed before the rains. The hindrances that happened in between caused some delay. Those with vested interests interrupted the work deliberately,” said Thampanoor ward councillor R Harikumar.
