Kumbalangi roads in pathetic condition

KUMBALANGI:  In spite of constant demands by the residents of Kumbalangi, the roads in the panchayat remain pathetic with huge potholes and craters. The 5.5 km Kumbalam-Ezhupunna stretch is in a  dilapidated condition. The delay in the completion of the Kumbalangi-Ezhupunna bridge is adding to the woes of the residents here.Compared to nearby panchayats, the roads here are in utter neglect. Autorickshaw Thozhilali Samyuktha Samara Samiti Union member M Shobhithan said that, though they have been constantly complaining about the roads, the authorities are yet to respond. “We have approached the PWD officials and the panchayat authorities. We have also talked to Dominic Presentation MLA about the matter. But they have shown scant interest in solving these problems. Besides, the roads have not been maintained for the last ten years. The recent rains also worsened the condition of the roads further,” he said.The Kumbalangi-Ezhupunna bridge is yet to be opened for the public even after its completion four years ago. “The opening of the bridge would bring down the distance between Ernakulam and Alappuzha by at least 7 km. But as some problems crept up regarding the land acquisition work, the approach road could not be completed,” he added.Dominic Presentation admitted that the roads in Kumbalangi are neglected owing to some procedural delays on the part of various departments. “There are many bottlenecks at the moment. The roads in Kumbalangi have not been maintained for the last several years. Besides, the LDF governments entrusted all the maintenance works to the PWD in 2005. But owing to the lack of funds and equipment, they could not complete the work. Apart from that, contractors also quoted 35 per cent higher than the government estimate,” MLA said.Regarding the approach road of the Kumbalangi-Ezhupunna bridge, he said that the people on both sides of the bridge had objected to the work on the approach road. “They approached the court stating that the approach road would block the path to their houses and shops. But we will sort out the problems soon,” he said.