Govt steps in after NH stretch remains dug up for months

According to the minister, the government was informed only about works relating to Attingal town development, including widening of road and construction of drainage.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Realising the fallout of a busy stretch of the National Highway (NH) lying dug up for many months, the government has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to stop the ongoing widening work near Attingal and to make the stretch motorable at the earliest. Works Minister G Sudhakaran said the government was kept in the dark about the actual work being carried out on the NH stretch and also about the diversion of vehicles, including heavy vehicles, through narrow roads along the Thiruvananthapuram- Kollam stretch.

According to the minister, the government was informed only about works relating to Attingal town development, including widening of road and construction of drainage. He said the government was not informed about digging up the NH as part of the work. After being informed that the works would not be completed before the tenure of the present government ends, the minister asked the PWD officials to carry out such works only after careful planning. “The widening of the NH into six-lane has started from Kasaragod. When it reaches Attingal, the same work has to be done again. So, the feasibility of digging up the NH at this juncture should be re-examined,” Sudhakaran reminded the officials. In February 2019 the minister himself inaugurated the work on NH widening.

However, the work lagged on for many months due to continuous rain. Since it is not advisable to leave a huge portion dug up on one side of the road for many months, the government directed officials to make it motorable immediately. The minister said he had sought clarification from PWD officials, and the chief engineer in his reply has said the dug up portion of the road will be restored and work on the other half would be taken up later.

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