GURUVAYUR: Owing to the stringent opposition of local residents, businessmen, politicians and the difficulty in expediting work in the narrow lanes near the Lord Sree Krishna Temple, the KWA would halt work of laying pipes in selected stretches while completing the Guruvayur Drainage Scheme.
‘Express’ has learnt from sources associated with implementing the scheme that no underground pipes will be laid in the road in front of the railway station here which connects the Parthasarathi Temple and the flyover. The other stretch is Manchira Road on the northern side of the Guruvayur Temple and besides that, KWA will also be not laying pipes beyond the Inner Ring Road on the stretch.
More details have emerged that KWA has already decided not to implement the scheme in areas starting from western pump house of the scheme till the Mammiyur Temple and instead, a few temporary arrangements would be made to connect this portion with the new pipes of the scheme.
“As per the original plan of the project which was conceived in 1973, the project pipes need to be laid by opening up the middle of the road and the pathway till the ceremonial lamp (deepastambam) in front of the Eastern and Western Towers of the temple and I see this as a violation of the scheme”, K G Sukumaran Master, general convener of the Guruvayur Drainage Action Committee, said. The Executive Engineer of KWA (PH Section) said that the decision to leave behind a few stretches was taken considering the strong opposition of the local people and people’s representatives to open up the road to lay the pipes.