The Kerala High Court on Thursday initiated suo motu proceedings on the condition of pothole-ridden roads of Kochi. City residents have bitterly complained about the roads but they claim that little action has been taken by the Kochi Corporation, the Public Works Department or the Kerala Water Authority.
The suo motu case was initiated as a result of a letter by Justice Devan Ramachandran on the condition of Kochi’s roads. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar has also directed that the Kochi Corporation be added as a party to the case, Malayala Manorama reported.
As per the report, the letter written by Justice Devan stated that the condition of the roads is worse than in previous years. Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Thammanam-Pullepady Road, Theveara Ferry Road, Ponnurunni Bridge Road, Ponnurunni- Chalikavattom Road, Vytilla and Kundanoor Roads are specified in the letter.
Some of the roads mentioned in the letter have been lying in a state of disrepair for more than a year.
Despite repeated demands from motorists and orders from the District Collector to take action, little work has been done.
The worst-hit among these are the Vytilla and Kundanoor junctions. They are both high traffic zones and act as a transit point between important suburbs of the city and the city centre. In recent times, it takes at least an hour for a vehicle to cover the junctions.
Recently, Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain conducted a sit-in protest at the Kerala Water Authority’s office demanding that road repairs in the areas that had been dug up for pipes. Though it had been promised that the work would be completed by the end of August, work is still pending.
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