Kerala - Kochi   

Where potholes pass for roads

John L. Paul

`Traffic policemen also affected because of ineptitude on the part of civic agencies'

MOTORISTS' NIGHTMARE: Potholes allover Sahodaran Ayyappan Road in Kochi. A scene near the Kadavanthra junction. - Photo: Vipin Chandran

KOCHI: Gaping potholes have made driving through city roads a miserable experience for motorists.

"They make travel a backbreaking experience. Vehicles swerving and applying the brake suddenly to avoid potholes cause accidents," says K. Bose, who commutes to the city.

"The poor condition of roads coupled with bumper-to-bumper traffic will surely affect Onam festivities year. People will be forced to cancel trips to the city for shopping and leisure," he said.

This view was echoed by Robin, an autorickshaw driver at Vytilla.

Private bus operators have threatened to go on strike if the roads are not repaired.

Police Commissioner P. Vijayan said traffic policemen were among the worst affected because of the ineptitude on the part of civic agencies in making roads motorable.

"For the first time in Kochi, the traffic police took the initiative to temporarily fill huge potholes on some of the arterial roads. This was because the potholes were slowing down traffic. We are not given funds for relaying roads. Civic agencies pay little heed to our written demands to fill potholes. The city needs a helpline or standby system to re-lay patches as soon as potholes develop," he said.

The District Road Safety Committee, headed by the Collector, has not met for months together. The committee is entrusted with coordinating the work of civic and enforcement agencies, to ensure smooth and safe traffic.

Roads maintained by the Corporation are in a bad condition. Sahodaran Ayyappan Road, Chittoor Road, South Junction, Ravipuram Road, Hospital Road, Kacheripady-Vaduthala Road, K P Vallon Road, Karshaka Road, Pallimukku-Foreshore Road and roads at Thammanam are unmotorable.

Mayor Mercy Williams blamed the bad condition of roads on the "unexpected" rain and the Assembly elections. She admitted that the Corporation could do little despite frequent requests from the police and different organisations.

"We do not have the machinery to carry out frequent repairs One reason why the Corporation roads get destroyed fast is the restriction on money being spent for laying roads and repair," she said. Though orders were issued two weeks ago for relaying the stretches with potholes, rain was hampering the work. She had no answer when asked why repairs were not carried out during summer months.

Lack of coordination

A Corporation official said different contractors entrusted with road and drainage construction, hence there was little coordination among them to ensure that water flowed into drains.

"Overseers who monitor the quality of work are often slack in their duty. The Town Planning Committee should urgently take a decision on filling potholes as and when they develop."

Among the PWD (National Highway) roads in bad condition are the busy Palarivattom-Kakkanad stretch and the Edapally-Vytilla bypass and service roads. The approach roads to the Goshree bridges too are in bad shape.

A PWD engineer said that the Palarivattom-Kakkanad stretch would be relaid using Central Road Funds, once the rain subsided.

About the Vytilla-Aroor bypass, G. Sivaram Raju, project director of the National Highways Authority of India, said the contractor in charge of the four-lane work was not fast enough in widening the road and filling potholes, especially on the Kumbalam-Aroor bridge.

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