Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Citizens take to the streets

Thiruvananthapuram: A dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed in Peroorkada and Kudapanakunnu localities on Wednesday in protest against the delay in repairing the Peroorkada-Kudapanakunnu road that was dug up for laying pipes under the JBIC-aided drinking water project.

The hartal, called by various political parties, Kerala Vayapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi and residents’ associations, began at 6 a.m. Shops and other business establishments on the Peroorkada-Doordarshan road remained closed. Vehicular traffic was affected, as the agitators resorted to road blockade at Kudapanakunnu junction, Poomaliyoorkonam junction, Krishna Nagar Road, Pathirapally and NCC Road. The agitators who blocked the road leading to Kudapanakunnu at 9.30 a.m. shifted the agitation to the busy Peroorkada junction by 10 a.m. Traffic snarls were witnessed for several hours as the efforts by the police to remove the agitators failed. The agitators demanded an assurance from the District Collector.

A police team led by City Police Commissioner Ravada A. Chandrasekhar held talks with the agitators. Efforts to remove the agitators using force did not succeed. Later, all vehicles to the city were diverted via Sasthamangalam.

Revenue Divisional Officer Rajendran Pillai also held talks with the agitators. They insisted that Mr. Pillai should personally see the plight of the dug-up road before holding talks with them.

The local people said the delay in repairing the road even after three months of completion of work and frequent leakages in KWA pipes had caused hardship to residents of the locality.

The road blockade was withdrawn at 12.30 p.m. after the RDO assured the protesters that the District Collector would convene a meeting on Thursday. The Peroorkada police have registered a case against 100 persons for causing traffic obstruction.

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