Go dead slow to avoid death

In this fast-paced world,  do not be in a hurry while travelling on the  85-km Walayar-Mannuthy section of the National Highway-47.   Especially, do not mistake the 30-km Vadakkencherry-Mannuthy stretch for some craters  on the moon or Mars.  Go dead slow  here to avoid death.  

   For,  the condition of the roads looks beyond repair whether in rain or sunshine. They remain perpetually damaged round the year. 

“The Vaniampara-Pattikkad stretch in Thrissur district is so bad that most accidents take place there when the vehicles try to avoid the potholes,’’ said a commuter Aravindan.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Kerala High Court had said that the roads should be maintained. But it was not done due to rain. Now there is sunshine, but even then no work is being done on the Vaniampara-Mannuthy stretch.

Due  to sunshine, the dust from the quarry waste lying on either side of the road swamp  smaller vehicles as  the top layers of the roads have worn off totally, according to commuters on the Vanniampara-Pattikkad stretch.

  The  patch work now being done is of no help. Currently, only the drain in front of the Kerala Agriculture University was being covered with concrete slabs. The excavators, JCBs and bulldozers were lying idle as those who surrendered their land  from Vadakkencherry to Mannuthy were up in arms against the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for not paying them the additional amount sanctioned under the arbitration proceedings.

Palakkad District Collector Ali Asghar Pasha had sanctioned `50 lakh for the  maintenance of the stretch from Walayar to Vadakkencherry. A large hole in Erimayur has been filled and many potholes have been covered.

The situation in Kuthiraan is no different. Long queues of cars and buses sandwiched between trailers and container lorries move at a snail’s pace to reach Pattikkad. While the Walayar-Vadakkencherry stretch has four lanes (45 metres), the Vadakkencherry-Mannuthy stretch has six lanes (60 metres).

  NHAI project director Ramanathan said that the higher amount awarded as per the arbitration proceedings will be disbursed soon to the landowners  from Vaniampara to Mannuthy which will help resume the work.  more: P4