With the southwest monsoon intensifying this week, many busy road corridors in the capital city and suburbs have been battered by rain, making travel a nightmare.
Potholes, depressions, settlements, and worn-out surfaces have suddenly appeared on the roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD) and the city Corporation. The inability of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to complete laying of drinking water pipelines along some roads have compounded the woes of road users. The Peroorkada-Sasthamangalam-Vatiyurkavu junction, Ambalamukku-Vayalikkada-Muttada- Paruthipara, Amabalamukku-Ambala Nagar-Kuravankonam, Kuravankonam-YMR, YMR-Charachira-Plamoodu, PMG-Nalanda, Killipalam-Attakulangara bypass, side roads of Chala market, Kalippankulam-NH 66 bypass, Kamaleswaram-Thiruvallam, and Eenchakkal-Vallakadavu are the stretches that have become difficult to travel.
Waterlogging
With deep, waterfilled potholes appearing all of a sudden on the bitumenised surface and manholes getting sunk, these roads have turned virtual death traps for motorists, especially two-wheelers. Riders often swerve the vehicles to avoid falling into these potholes and this results in accidents by hitting the approaching vehicles. Traffic snarls and slow-moving traffic owing to increase in the number of vehicles entering the roads after the commencement of the academic year on June 1 add to the woes. Chaos prevail on the busy Ambalamukku-Paruthipara, Parambukonam-Ambalamukku, and Eenchakkal-Vallakadavu stretches that have been battered by rain. At the mouth of the Eenchakkal-Vallakadavu road, the lack of drains is resulting in waterlogging and making travel a nightmare.