KOCHI: The narrow lane near Kattithara at Maradu, where a playschool vehicle fell into a pond on Monday killing two children and a helper, is often used by small vehicles to reach the NH bypass quickly. The authorities for long have neglected the local residents' demand for a wall on one side of the pond facing the narrow Harichandra lane.
"This is a link road connecting the NH bypass. Often autorickshaws, scooters and other small vehicles use the stretch when heavy block is witnessed at Pettah," said Valsa John, who resides near the accident spot. "Two years ago, a mini-lorry laden with construction materials had fallen into the pond. The lorry driver had a lucky escape. The road stretch near the pond is very narrow. It poses a huge risk for those who are not familiar with the terrain. We've been demanding a side wall for many years, but to no avail," said Ravi Thekkedath, who played a crucial role in saving the lives of five toddlers.
Meanwhile, a police team headed by Tripunithura traffic circle inspector Nizamuddhin inspected the spot on Tuesday morning as part of a probe into the cause of the mishap. "The narrow road is only 2.46 metres wide at the accident spot. There is virtually nothing that separates the road and the pond. The pond is 2.50 metres deep even near the banks. The weeds and the loose soil below added to the gravity of the mishap," the investigating officer said. The team will prepare a report on measures to make the stretch risk-free which will be submitted to the Public Works Department and the Motor Vehicles Department.
RTO report blames driver
The mishap involving a play school van happened due to the carelessness of the driver who negotiated the 'S' curve just before the accident spot at relatively high speed, as per the preliminary probe report of Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer Reji P Varghese. The condition of the vehicle, especially the worn tyres which reduced the grip with the road, also contributed to the accident in which two toddlers and an ayah drowned. While negotiating the curve through the narrow road, the driver applied the brake, however, the vehicle skidded slightly before falling into the pond.
"The vehicle didn't have 'checked' sticker, given for subjecting to mandatory inspection of condition, pasted in it nor the play-school authorities could produce documents of carrying out the inspection before the school reopening," the report handed over to the Transport Commissioner said. The report also cited the narrowness of the road and the lack of a side wall covering the pond as other factors that led to the mishap.. "With the primary probe pointing towards the fault of the driver, we've initiated measures to cancel his licence," the official said.
Meanwhile, the MVD carried out simultaneous inspection of school buses and vehicles carrying school children in the Kochi city and near-by areas. Action was taken against many vehicles found to have compromised on mandatory requirements like presence of ayah, display of contact numbers and the like. The incident happened on Monday evening when the school van carrying eight toddlers fell into a pond at Kattithara in Maradu. While three persons, two toddlers and an ayah, died, five toddlers were rescued. A child and the vandriver are currently recuperating at hospital.
Municipality to start side wall construction
A day after three lives were lost in a mishap involving a playschool bus at Kattithara, the Maradu Municipality on Tuesday decided to heed a long-pending demand of local residents to construct a protection wall at one side of the pond along the narrow Harichandra by-lane, into which the vehicle fell while negotiating an 'S' shaped curve. "We'll start the work of protection wall on Wednesday. We've put the project for approval before today's council as an emergency and decided to utilise the fund under disaster management head in the wake of the shocking accident last day," Maradu Municipality Chairperson Suneela Siby told DC.
When asked why the municipality so far neglected the demand from local residents, Siby said there are a number of similar spots (waterbodies by the side of roads) and it would require a minimum Rs 50 crore to construct sidewalls. Earlier, a meet chaired by district collector Muhammed Y Safirulla and attended by Regional Transport Officer Reji P Varghese and other MVD officials decided to ask the municipality to construct protection wall soon.
