The Hindu : Way to approach road cleared

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Way to approach road cleared

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI MAY 21. After a long gap involving a bitter wrangle between the local people and the authorities, the work on the approach road to the new railway overbridge at Kalamassery on the Aluva-Cherthala National Highway began on Monday.

Even though only three workers were employed yesterday for preparing the wooden framework for a concrete median, it is expected that the contractor would be able to bring in more workers from tomorrow, so that the work on the approach road could be completed this month itself.

It was the District Collector, Gyanesh Kumar's visit to the spot on Saturday that helped to find a solution to the impasse which had lasted for a couple of years.

Although the work of the railway overbridge had been completed a few years ago and the road embankment raised, the project was entangled in a controversy over a long culvert that drains water from the low lying area where many families live.

The local residents had been stalling the work of the road claiming that the existing culvert was not wide enough to drain water. There were a few instances when the residents suffered flooding during the rain.

The existing 68-metre skew-shaped culvert underneath the 13-metre high embankment, has a diameter of one metre. The residents point out that the culvert often gets clogged and cause flooding in the area. Some experts have described the culvert as unscientific as it becomes very difficult to clear any blocks.

Even though construction of another large culvert had been suggested, the cost appears to be prohibitive. Cutting the 13-metre high embankment and constructing a huge culvert is estimated to cost over Rs. 50 lakhs.

When the Collector visited the spot on Saturday, there was apparently no block in the culvert. After consulting the local people as well as the National Highway Division of the Public Works Department (PWD) engineers who are in charge of the work, the Collector decided to start the work.

The approach road is complete but for the median and three layers of tarring. Soon after the median is completed, the work of which began today, tarring will start, said Jaya Prakash, executive engineer, PWD, division.

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