KOCHI: Passengers can expect to breathe a sigh of relief as the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has at last initiated measures to address the perennial waterlogging issue at its Ernakulam bus stand, located in the heart of the city.
While demolition of the over five-decade-old building that houses the station and construction of a new swanky terminal have hit a roadblock, KSRTC has set the ball rolling on work to raise the floor level of the structure and premises, and build new drains. The project is being implemented using the legislative assembly constituency- asset development fund of Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod, who has allotted `50 lakh for the purpose.
“We’ve invited tenders for constructing two drains adjacent to the bus stand that will be linked to a nearby canal to end the frequent flooding. They will also cover work on raising the existing the floor level using earth and including a layer of PCC and screed concrete to prevent the entry of rainwater. We intend to finish the work before the start of the next rainy season,” a senior PWD official said.
“However, the full solution must include cleaning of the adjacent Vivekananda Canal to ensure the smooth flow of drainage water during monsoon,” the official said.
Senior officials of KSRTC, including chairman and MD Pramoj Shankar, PWD and MLA Vinod inspected the bus stand on Saturday. “Nearly 940 trips are conducted from the stand daily. While 89 buses are operated from here, a total of 479 buses pass via the facility. Around 30,000 commuters on average use the stand daily.
The area gets inundated at the slightest hint of rain and has been the subject of social media trolls. I’ve allotted the sum from my MLA fund after Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said a solution should be reached as soon as possible,” said Vinod.
The open tender was floated on February 22, with the last date for submitting bids set for March 4. The bids will be opened on March 6.
Old building’s renovation
Meanwhile, work of renovating the existing dilapidated building would also be taken up soon, using the `99 lakh CSR fund provided by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). “The renovation will revolve around strengthening the existing building after raising the floor. The toilet complex will also be renovated. Maintenance will be carried out along with drainage work,” the PWD official said.
Terminal roadblock
A ministerial-level meeting held last October had decided to launch construction of a new swanky bus terminal in the adjacent Karikkamuri area on the Vyttila Mobility Hub model for which the Cochin Smart City Mission accorded `12 crore. However, sources said the project has hit a roadblock with KSRTC objecting to “severe” terms, including payment of vehicle toll and nature of land use.