The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Gandhari Nagar residents up in arms against Corporation apathy

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Monday, Dec 31, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Gandhari Nagar residents up in arms against Corporation apathy

Special Correspondent

Road dug up two years ago has not yet been repaired

Needs action: The present state of Gandhari Amman Kovil Road which was dug up two years ago for laying pipes for water supply.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Residents of Gandhari Nagar in Thampanoor ward are preparing to launch an agitation against the city Corporation to protest against the failure to repair the damaged Gandhari Amman Kovil Road dug up two years ago for laying water pipes.

The local people have set up an action council to highlight the plight of the road linking the main thoroughfare with the temple. They allege that repeated assurances by the Corporation have not been honoured.

“We have been let down time and again. Every time we approach them, Corporation functionaries assure us that the work will be taken up in two weeks. They have failed to keep their assurance,” says the action council leader R.P. Nair.

The narrow road that can hardly accommodate two vehicles side by side has houses, shops, hotels and office buildings all along the stretch, making it one of the most congested areas in the city. It is used as a shortcut for vehicles during traffic jams on Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Local people allege that the Corporation has failed to utilise the repair funds sanctioned by the government. They complain that despite running from pillar to post, the Corporation has not done anything to repair the road.

The heavily potholed road has become dangerous for vehicle users, especially two-wheeler riders. The entire stretch of the road is lined with deep ruts, making it difficult for motorists. The road was dug up for the Theerapadham water supply scheme. Local people, however, point out that the pipe-laying project has only worsened the condition of the road that has not been resurfaced for the last four years.

The gravel laid over the potholes as a stopgap arrangement months ago is strewn all over the road and the side drains. Residents complain that the dust thrown up by passing vehicles has exposed them to respiratory problems.

Taxi and autorickshaw drivers refuse to ply on the road for fear of scraping the underside of their vehicles. The monsoon only aggravated the condition of the road, deepening the ruts and leaving the manholes jutting up. The side drains are covered with soil and rubble.

In April this year, the Disaster Management Wing of the Revenue Department sanctioned Rs. 2 lakh for immediate restoration and improvement of the side drains on the road to compensate for the damage caused by floods last year. Though the work order was issued later, the project failed to take off. Corporation functionaries say the local body has not received the funds.

The action council has launched a signature campaign among the residents in the area. “We are planning to submit a memorandum to the Mayor. If that fails, the action council will be forced to adopt more drastic steps like staging a dharna or blocking the road,” Mr. R.P. Nair said.

Chairman of the Corporation’s Standing Committee on Works K. Rajasekharan Nair says the work has to be tendered thrice in the absence of bidders. “We have had to exert pressure on a contractor to take up the repair on a priority basis. The work is expected to begin in a week,” he said.

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