Mind the gaps, please: Kochi's pathetic road infra

KOCHI:  Last year, the Kerala High Court described the roads in Kochi as “exasperating” and a “real tragedy” after every rain. It also questioned why the corporation and other authorities concerned neglected the maintenance of roads, for which the public pays taxes. 

Officials, the court remarked, should decide whether “roads should be constructed for the future or whether it should be a relic of the past”. Then, what happened? Nothing much, as the condition of roads, remains the same, with potholes galore. The summer showers left motorists fuming. “Some of our roads can be opened up for adventure rallies,” quips one. And now, the monsoon clouds are on their way. 

Despite being the commercial hub of the state, Kochi’s road infrastructure has been a shambles for a long. Currently, the condition of the roads maintained by the corporation, GCDA and PWD is miserable in several parts of the city, as pre-monsoon maintenance works were not done diligently.  “The corporation roads in Gandhi Nagar, for instance, are full of potholes,” points out Ranjith Thampy, social activist. “This is the situation before the monsoon. It shows the quality of tarring work and maintenance by the local body.” 

Thampy believes roads in the area should be tiled. “Or, the corporation should seek the Cochin Smart City Mission Limited’s help, as it’s clear that the civic body is incapable of maintaining roads properly due to various factors, including corruption,” he adds.

The public, clearly, is frustrated with the ‘system’. Akhil P, an IT professional working at Infopark, recently highlighted the pathetic condition of the road parallel to the Vyttila Mobility Hub to area councillor Sunitha Dixon. “She said she would look into it. After two weeks, I called her to follow up. She said the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society was in charge of the maintenance of the roads and assured action,” says the 32-year-old. “So far, nothing has been done. If the elected representatives are not taking the initiative, then what is the point of such posts?” 

Similar is the case of Chittoor Road and nearby pocket roads maintained by the corporation. “Riding motorbikes on such roads is hazardous,” says Deepak Nair, a motorist. “Potholes on this stretch are difficult to spot from a distance, especially during rain. Motorists have a horrid time navigating such roads. God knows when, where, who would fall in these craters.”

In Kadavanthra, businessman and executive committee member of a residents’ association Mathew M Joseph notes that the KP Vallon Road was dug up just before the rains. “Perfect planning and timing!” he sneers. “I understand the limitations of the corporation officials. Sometimes they claim to be helpless. But what’s disappointing is their disinterest. Most of them use social media for politics; how many effectively highlight civic issues?”    

Responding to TNIE’s queries, corporation officials claim “patch-up works are in progress”, but fail to list specifics.  Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar, meanwhile, is busy with canal cleaning works. Roads will have to wait. “Works are under way to desilt canals in the city to prevent waterlogging. The roads would be repaired on an emergency basis once the rain subsides,” he says.

Fund crunch
Sources say the corporation is facing a shortage of plan funds for road maintenance. The local body has surveyed all the roads under its jurisdiction and would seek additional funding from the state government, they add.  “The draft report is prepared and will be presented before the council. Once approved, it will be sent to the government,” says an official. “Road details recorded in the existing log are old and were not updated. Currently, many new roads have been added to the list. Hence, we will need additional funds.” 

Instant fix for potholes
Quick repair of potholes, as soon as they emerge, would help prevent craters, resulting in more expenditure. “Instant repair of potholes is possible by using cold bitumen, which is now available in Kerala,” explains Better Kochi Response Group president S Gopakumar. “This can be used on rainy days, too. We had organised a live demonstration using cold bitumen for  the mayor, GCDA chairman and PWD officials.”  Requirements to repair a road in 10 minutes are minimal — a vehicle to store the bitumen and two workers, he adds.  “With bad soil conditions, the roads should have a PVC geotextile layer, which would help distribute the load and prevent cracking,” says Gopakumar, who is a leading architect. “This will increase the life of the road by at least three times. This should be a norm for all the roads in the city.”

Better coordination,  monitoring needed 
Former GCDA town planner Elizabeth Phillip stresses that the corporation must hire a project management consultant (PMC). The contractors would work under the PMC, so the work would be of better quality and completed on time, without cost escalation, she says.  “It’s not that Kochi doesn’t have a plan. But planning happens on one side and the execution goes on the other,” says Elizabeth.  “The first thing the corporation needs to do is immediately hold a meeting with all the officials and agencies concerned, and identify the roads which are in bad condition. It should also deploy a monitoring team to ensure timely maintenance of roads.”