KWA continues with its road wrecking old habit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Motorists and pedestrians on the Kaithamukku-Sreekanteswaram had stretch heaved a sigh of relief when the road-widening works as part of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP) got completed after months. However, within weeks after the motorists started enjoying a smooth drive, the KWA has dug up the road for the work on a manhole.Now, the troubled times are back for the motorists, with large pits being dug on the road at more than one location.This is not an isolated case. Fully-developed CRIP roads have been dug up several times in the past for the KWA and JICA-assisted water works. The Attakulangara-Enchakkal Road was trenched at as many as 13 locations for the replacement of brick manholes. Same was the case with the Ottukuzhy-Press Club Road, where the newly-tarred road was dug up for the same purpose.“We cannot ensure the same quality for the area where KWA digs up the tarred road for its works. We have always waited for the KWA to complete its works. But it will start only after we complete the road works,” said Anil Kumar Pandala, project director of CRIP.He pointed out that TRDCL was waiting for the KWA to complete the works on the Pattom-Pottakuzhy stretch so that it could carry out the upgradation of the stretch.The TRDCL had also waited for the KWA and JICA authorities to take up their works on the Model School-Ponnara Sreedhar Park stretch back in 2010. However, the KWA and JICA are yet to complete the works.Pandala said that TRDCL had waited for five months for the KWA to carry out the work at Kaithamukku. “However, we had to complete the work before the Sreekanteswaram Temple festival. Now, after tarring, they have dug up the road,” he said.Devakumar, KWA official in charge of sewerage, said manhole works can be carried out only after tarring. “The existing brick manholes cannot stand the weight. That is why we are laying RCC manholes. As we need to know the level of the road, construction can be carried out after the road works,” he explained.He added that KWA was not cutting the tarred portion, but was only replacing the manholes, which won’t cause any inconvenience.