The rain is back. So are potholes
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Summer rains are back and so are the worries of residents living in the city. Dust, water stagnation and potholes on the roads are making it tough for motorists to drive. Delay in re-carpeting the roads and non-clearance of the drainage waste is a serious issue as per the locals are concerned. "The summer rains are damaging roads, there are potholes filled with rainwater which resemble harmless puddles but beholds danger. Stagnant water on the Kunjalimoodu-Karamana road after the summer rainfall is a regular scene and there are no adequate drainage systems for the easy flow of water thereby creating difficulty for the movement of vehicles," said Aravind P, a Karamana resident.
However, Corporation officials point out that they have initiated precautionary measures to cope with the summer rains. While the residents insist on poor drainage system as the reason for water stagnation, deputy mayor Rakhi Ravikumar dismissed the claim. "City Corporation has initiated clearance of waste materials from roadsides allowing rainwater to flow freely. Drainage systems in the city have been considered under the AMRUT scheme," she said. Rakhi also stressed on the need to stop disposing waste materials on roads as it can result in inviting summer rain diseases.
S S Kovil Road, Thampanoor is another major area in the city which is prone to destruction in the summer rain."The road has always been undergoing patch-work and the progress is nil. There are potholes, dust and stagnant water seen in every five-inch distance and the drainage work moves at a snail's pace," said Deepa M, motorist and resident, Karamana.
Mothers of school-going children worry about the stagnant water in drains and the chances of dengue fever.
"As they have vacation, children stay outdoors during the day. There are many pocket roads near my house and my children tend to play in stagnant water as they find it playful. As a mother I am worried about the chances of mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant water resulting in dengue fever and also bacterial infection from rat urine causing plague," said Nila Vijayan, resident, Karamana.