THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Majority of traffic islands in the capital city cut a sorry figure after the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL), the concessionaire of Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), annulled its contract more than six months ago.
More than a dozen traffic islands in the heart of the capital city including at Kowdiar, Vellayambalam and LMS Junction, which used to have excellent landscapes, flowering plants and fruit trees have since dried up in the excruciating humid conditions or else have been invaded by weeds. TRDCL was entrusted with the development and maintenance of 48km road under Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) in 2007.
The 15-years contract with the TRDCL gave the city dwellers a welcome sight at almost every traffic signal, intersections and also parks with lush flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees and roses.
Every day during morning and evening, a contractor assigned by the TRDCL used to water the plants which came under the 48km stretch. But over the last several months, the landscaping, flowering trees and plants have almost dried up with nil maintenance. Despite the contract with the TRDCL expired more than six months ago, the KRBF has failed to address the issue. KRFB CEO M Ashok Kumar told TNIE that there had been a delay in preparing the estimate after the running contract had expired.
“By the time it was approved, the Model Code of Conduct came into being. Hence the call for tenders had to be temporarily postponed. The procedures need to be restarted after the model code of conduct is lifted”, said Ashok Kumar.
Out of the 48km stretch, only 33km fall under TRDCL’s jurisdiction, with 15km left abandoned and poorly maintained.
The neglect is most apparent in three specific stretches: from Kowdiar to VJT Hall (Kowdiar-Vellayambalam-Museum-LMS Junction-Palayam-Ayyankali Hall), MLA quarters to Chackai, and Shangkhumukham to Thiruvananthapuram airport.
“The authorities have no clue what to do about the project, and they are least concerned about it too. It has been nearly four months since the Kowdiar signal has ceased to function,” said Anilkumar Pandala, former MD, TRDCL.