Unrestored roads in the wake of gas project in Kochi leave residents and councillors fuming

Unrestored and badly restored roads, which were dug up for laying pipeline for the city gas project have left many divisions in Kochi Corporation with nearly unnavigable roads much to the chagrin of the residents.

Roads in the Palarivattom division remain one of the worst affected and the monsoon has turned them mud pools giving motorists a nightmare. In fact, last month, the Palarivattom police, on a direction by the magistrate court, registered a First Information Report (FIR) for the alleged unauthorised digging up of four roads for the city gas project by the Indian Oil Adani Group and the Kerala Water Authority for laying drinking water pipelines. A.V. Muhammed Firdouz, a lawyer, approached the magistrate court when complaints with the police station and the city police chief went unheeded.

The roads mentioned in the FIR were the Thammanam-Pullepady Road, Nandanath Kochako Road, P J Antony, and Mahakavi Vailoppilli Road. The Palarivattom division councillor Geojy Kurrikod said that even more roads like the Apollo Road, Kurrikod Road, and the LPS Road remains dug up for the last five months. “Passing the bucks and indefinitely postponing the restoration works is all what they do. While the city gas project is an essential service, that cannot be a reason for the inadequate restoration of roads. We are about to take up the matter in the council shortly,” said Mr. Kurrikod.

Mr. Firdouz said that he took up the matter after the roads concerned were found dug up without the permission from the local body as per a Right to Information application. “The police are supposed to file a report within 60 days. Though non-bailable charges have been invoked in the FIR, I am planning to approach the Kerala High Court, if no action is forthcoming,” he said.

The Ernakulam District Residents Associations’ Apex Council (EDRAAC) rued that the overall lack of maintenance of roads has been further accentuated by the lackadaisical restoration of roads dug up for the city gas project. “It is for the local body to fix the responsibility and get the roads restored timely,” said Rangadasa Prabhu, President, EDRAAC.

The Corporation Works Committee chairperson Seena Gokulan said that there are complaints about the slow progress of the city gas project and the inadequate restoration of roads. “A meeting will be convened shortly with the officials and the city gas project authorities to resolve the issues,” she said.

The nearly 1.50 kilometre-long Puzhakkarapadam Road in Vennala division is one among the roads in a bad shape affecting over 100 families. “Travelling through the road feels like navigating successive ponds, to which the road has been reduced to,” said V.K. Prasad, president of the Puzhakkarapadam Resident’s Association.

Admitting that the road was indeed in a pitiable state, Vennala division councillor C.D. Valsalakumari said that the parties concerned have assured to restore the road as soon as there was a let up in the rain. “The road was once resurfaced in March but got washed away in the rain,” she said.