THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first-ever women-friendly corridor in Kerala set up by the city corporation spending Rs 2 crore at Vazhuthacaud in the capital is facing neglect. The corridor which was constructed connecting two premier women-only educational institutions in the city the Government College for Women and Cotton Hill Girls High School has become unfriendly for women.
The ill-maintained corridor plunges into darkness after dusk making it unsafe for pedestrians and women. The covered roof and the solar panels are also under the threat of tree branches. The ambitious project of the previous LDF-ruled council was inaugurated in 2020 with the vision of making the capital a model women-friendly city. However, the civic body has failed to ensure the upkeep of the facility and now the civic authorities are finding excuses for not maintaining it. The project included walkways and various facilities for women.
Seating facilities, CCTV cameras, she toilets and napkin-vending machines are some of the unaccomplished components of the project. A hi-tech bus shelter attached with a kiosk for breastfeeding still remains incomplete.
According to sources, there was discrepancy in the awarding of the contract to execute the work. “A vigilance inquiry is on. There is an allegation that the work on the hitech bus shelter was awarded without following tendering procedures. Hence, the contractor was not given the funds and this put brakes on the project,” said an official.
Vazhuthacaud councillor Rakhi Ravikumar passed the buck, saying the civic body was helpless as the road belongs to Kerala Road Fund Board. “Althara-Thycaud Road where the women corridor is located is part of the Smart Road project and it belongs to KRFB. We will be able to do the maintenance of the corridor only after the completion of the road work. Even if we carry out maintenance right now, all efforts would go in vain when they start the road work, which involves shifting of utility lines,” said Rakhi.
The corridor, which features the photos of eminent women from various fields, is marred with political banners and flags. An official said the civic body is unable to ensure the upkeep of the roof and solar panels because of the tree branches leaning on the top. “The trees are inside the women’s college campus. We will be serving them a notice to prune the branches that are leaning over the covered roof of the corridor,” he said.