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Kerala: Potholed roads welcome riders

Several district roads still in sorry state.

KOCHI: Despite the Public Works Department (PWD) being showered with praises for efforts to curb red tapism and corruption, several major district roads (MDR) managed by the Kerala PWD are in a sorry state. Some of the heavily pothole-ridden stretches including Attakulangara-Killipalam bypass, Kochar road from Killipalam to Edappazhinji, Pangode- Thirumala road, Thirumala- Peyad road, Kannamoola- Medical College Road and Valiyathura-Perunelly road are in a shambles. Among the worst is the 3km Thirumala-Edappazhinji road through Pangode military camp. The widening of Pangode road began in December 2016 with concretising of the shoulders in the stretch. However, the tarring did not start and the irregularity on the road worsened after the monsoons.

“During the rain, I was passing on my performance bike through Pangode Military canteen when I had a bad fall into a pothole near an ATM ruining my bike shock absorbers. The bike has become noisy and has developed problems soon after service,” lamented Deepu DS, a resident of Thirumala. Just before the monsoon, the contractors laid metal on some potholes adding to the safety risks of two-wheelers.

Elsewhere, a full re-tarring on Attakulangara-Killipalam road has been pending for years. “A repair was promised soon after works under Anantha in the area. However, barring a patchwork of the severely pothole-ridden stretch, the road remains bumpy,” said Anil Kumar SM, a resident of Kuryathi. Councillors of the wards along Kochar road, claimed patch work also was done depending on the influence of local politicians. PWD officials said that proposals were pending in several projects but fund paucity or a pipeline held back a project.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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