KOCHI: CPI activists disrupted Metro Rail works near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday demanding immediate steps to repair the roads and to remove the sludge that has leaked out from worksites to the road.
Due to the protest, works from Palarivattom to JN Stadium was disrupted for a few hours. CPI district secretary P. Raju inaugurated the protest march to the Metro site at JN stadium.
“If the roads are not repaired before Onam, a strong protest will be launched. The government should intervene in the issue and immediately resolve traffic issues in the city,” he said.
There have been widespread complaints against the lackadaisical attitude of the civil contractors of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in carrying out regular repairs of roads along the Metro corridor.
Despite the instruction of Kochi Metro Rail Limited and the City Corporation, civil contractors have failed to repair roads before monsoon resulting in severe traffic congestion in the city.
Though CPI protested by obstructing Metro works, the CPM has taken a policy decision not to disrupt the project. Since commuters, bus operators and auto drivers also are unhappy over the poor condition of roads, they also supported the protest.
Though a few of the roads on the Metro stretches had been restored on a temporary basis before the onset of the monsoon, they failed to withstand even the initial spell of rains.
The tar on the surface started flaking in a couple of weeks. There are widespread complaints against the resurfacing which was done in a shoddy manner.
Meanwhile, DMRC sources said that though the works were hindered due to the protest, they were resumed by the afternoon.
