Kerala: Rain damages 500km roads, 15 bridges face threat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Monsoon-related calamities have damaged 263km PWD roads in Idukki district alone, said PWD minister G Sudhakaran on Friday. The minister conducted video conferencing with PWD engineers in 14 districts to review the condition of roads, bridges and buildings during monsoon.

The minister said that around 500km roads in the state were damaged in monsoon fury. "Around 15 bridges are facing threat. Around 500km roads, both national highways and PWD roads, were damaged in rain. Damages worth Rs 3,000 crore were reported in the last rainfall. Latest reports show that damages worth around Rs 1,000 have happened due to natural calamities such as landslides. We have assessed a total damage of Rs 4,000 crore," the minister said.

Sudhakaran said that PWD engineers were ready to face crisis situations at monsoon-hit areas. "PWD officials will discuss with the respective district collectors on allowing vehicular traffic along areas hit by landslides," the minister said.

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He directed the officials to provide all support to security agencies in disaster-hit areas. The minister directed PWD engineers to take temporary arrangement to make roads motorable and to make all roads fully motorable after monsoon.

The minister said that no major damages were reported on buildings. KSTP project director Ajit Patil and PWD chief engineers attended the video conferencing.

Already around 365 bridges in the state require immediate restoration according to an inspection conducted a few months ago. The PWD has to spent around Rs 4,000 crore for restoration of these bridges. The monsoon is expected to worsen the condition of these bridges.