No respite for commuters in Alappuzha

October 15, 2013

TNN |

ALAPPUZHA: It seems like that the public works department (PWD) and Kerala water authority (KWA) are playing with the lives of the people.Both these departments are not taking any steps to repair the roads, which were damaged after the pipes of the KWA burst repeatedly.

“I feel that authorities of the PWD and KWA here are neither afraid of the ministers nor of the media. On August 26, the PWD minister V K Ibrahim Kunju, who visited the district, directed the PWD to repair the roads like Cherthala-Kottayam within a week. Media has also reported about the bad conditions of the roads in the district. But the authorities concerned are acting as if there is nobody to question their lackadaisical attitude,” said Vinod K D, a driver from Cherthala.

The PWD minister had sanctioned Rs 87.21 crore for road repair works in the district.

Cherthala- Kottayam Road, which is a main road for going to Kottayam Medical College Hospital and Cherthala Taluk Headquarters Hospital, was repaired after the minister’s visit in the district. A sum of Rs 3 lakh was spent for levelling the potholes of the road. But it helped only to increase the number of potholes on the road. The pipes of the KWA through this road keep bursting daily. Pedestrians and drivers are bearing the brunt of it.

“There is dangerous curve at Muthalakkuzhi (near School Kavala) on Alappuzha-Madurai state highway. A huge pothole developed some months ago on the curve. Many two -wheeler riders were hospitalized after they fell in it. Thanks to the apathy of the PWD officials. Cars and heavy vehicles were also damaged due to this pothole,” said Sudheen Sudhakar, a driver from Muhamma.

“There have been no bus services through our village after the Alappuzha-Thanneermukkom Coastal Road developed potholes after the pipes of the KWA burst in different parts. We have approached the PWD and the KWA for repairing the road. But they were blaming each other. Finally, we ourselves repaired the road on Sunday,” said Aneesh Mohan, a student from Veliyambra, Thanneermukkom.

District collector N Padmakumar said that the repair works of all these roads will be started within this month and tenders have been invited for all the works.

The works of the roads will be completed within a month once it gets started, he assured.

“We have allotted tenders for the repair works of all the damaged road. And we don’t have fund shortage. The work was stopped only after the rain began. We hope that the work can be started this week and would be completed by the mid of November,” said PWD executive engineer Sanil S.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com