Thiruvananthapuram: PWD roads in the city need urgent maintenance while roads that come under City Road Improvement Project are better off. this DC found out in reality check on Thursday. It may be recalled that PWD minister G. Sudhakaran had demanded action against Mr Anil Kumar Pandala, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company (TRDCL) project director, for failing to do maintenance works for the designated 15 years. Out of the 42-km stretch under the CRIP, DC reporter travelled 27 km to see the actual condition of the roads. The stretches visited include Museum - Bakery - Overbridge Road, Vanross - Press Club Road, Chackai - Eenchakkal – Attakulangara Road and Pattom – Murinjapalam – Kumarapuram Road.
On Wednesday, Mr Sudhakaran had alleged that the waterlogged areas in front of the University of Kerala and the secretariat had not been repaired by TRDCL.
This reporter saw in front of the Central Telegraph Office before the secretariat that the Reliance Jio Infocomm which had laid the ‘micro-trenching’ cable had not laid it properly with tarring done in a zigzag manner. Out of the 42 km CRIP stretch, Reliance has laid cable in 23 km so far. Similarly, at the Ayurveda College junction near the temple, almost 60 cm of the road has caved in due to poor maintenance done by Reliance Jio Infocomm. This reporter saw several workers of TRDCL drilling the road in front of Asan Square at Palayam where they are increasing the width of the road. But no water-logging could be seen, probably because the rains have receded.
The PWD minister is not certain about the roads that come under PWD and TRDCL. The Secretariat Cantontment gate - Vanross Junction - Reserve Bank of India stretch comes under PWD and not under TRDCL. This stretch is one of the most widely used by government officials belonging to secretariat which is not maintained well by the PWD. “We are taking good care of the CRIP roads. There are days when the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation sweepers push the garbage in the catch pit areas clogging the drains which leads to the rain water seeping into the roads. Despite the emergency team working on to prevent it, it is not always successful,” said a TRDCL official.
While coming down from Chackai – Eenchakkal – Attakulangara Road, this reporter saw close to 25 sewage manholes which have caved in. These should have been taken care of by the Kerala Water Authority. An official told DC that despite the department awarding tenders worth Rs 22 lakh, none of the contractors under KWA had come forward to take up the work, with the blame being put on the TRDCL. At least four sewage manholes were leaking at Kumarapuram road which also need urgent repair. At the busy PMG - Plamoodu one-way stretch in front of the Lourdes Church, the PWD road is damaged with potholes giving the motorists a hard time.
