THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Missing streetlights and poor maintenance of the median have made night travel difficult for motorists and pedestrians alike on the Karamana-Pravachambalam stretch of the state highway leading to Tamil Nadu.
Though the State Human Rights Commission — based on a complaint by local residents — had intervened in the issue and asked the PWD chief engineer (NH) to submit a report, the PWD is yet to respond. Adding to the troubles, the median has turned into a dump yard for plastic waste and garbage.
As the stretch from Pravachambalam to Kodinada in Balaramapuram has streetlights, people are demanding the lighting up of the Karamana-Pravachambalam stretch too as it falls under city limits.
During the first-phase road development from Karamana to Pravachambalam, the detailed project report (DPR) did not contain a proposal for streetlights on the median as the then PWD officers suggested constructing pillars there for the possible implementation of the Light Metro project, and its southward extension. However, sources said the DPR for the development of the Pravachambalam-Kodinada stretch had proposed to install streetlights on the median.
On February 19, the human rights panel directed the PWD chief engineer to look into the demand to put up streetlights on the median. The SHRC chairperson, Justice Antony Dominic, in his notice to the official, sought a report within four weeks. However, nothing positive has come out of it. A complaint by activist Santhivila Padmakumar said the highway that passes through Kaimanam, Pappanamcode, Karakkamandapam and Nemom junctions is a gateway to Tamil Nadu.
“The PWD has completely neglected the Karamana-Pravachambalam road divider. The plants on the median have grown so much that it is impossible for pedestrians to cross the road. In the absence of streetlights, crossing the road at night is leading to accidents. Many people have lost their lives here. At the same time, the median on the Pravachambalam-Balaramapuram stretch is maintained properly,” the complaint said.
Meanwhile, PWD Chief Engineer (NH) M Ashok Kumar told TNIE that he has not received the commission’s order. “I will check for it, and submit the report after getting the order,” he said.