Had intimated road’s bad condition to higher-ups: Engineers tell Kerala HC

KOCHI: The PWD engineers who appeared in person told the Kerala High Court on Monday that though they had intimated the bad condition of the Aluva-Perumbavoor stretch to their superiors, they were instructed not to act because a proposal had been made to transfer the control of the road to the Kerala Road Fund Board. The court had directed them to appear in person following the death of a 74-year-old man after his scooter fell into a pothole on the road. The condition of the road worsened with the heavy rain from May, the engineers said.

The superintendent engineer and executive engineers of the Kerala Road Fund Board said they were given charge of the road on June 27 and they were able to begin the work by July 14 which, they claimed, was a record speed.

Justice Devan Ramachandran said this was precisely the problem a citizen of the state faced. The roads had been bad for several weeks before, but because of the official logjam, the work would begin only a few weeks later. “Every pothole on a road has the potential to injure and kill. Therefore, the pace at which such issues are being dealt with by the authorities can never be countenanced,” the court said.The court pointed out that it had as early as in 2018 delivered a judgment in this regard. But four years later, the situation has not been different.

“I do not know how long our citizens will have to wait until they get at least the peripheral guarantees that they will return home safely, driving and riding on the roads,” said the judge.The court also pointed out that the district collectors of Thrissur, Ernakulam and Malappuram in their reports had spoken about the bad condition of the roads under their jurisdictions. The court added that it was not sufficient that they filed reports before the court, but they ought to supervise and ensure that defects were rectified. They must ensure that they watch the progress of work.

The state government said the necessary repair works of the Aluva-Perumbavoor road would be completed within 10 days. The repair works of most of the roads in the state had begun and would be completed without delay.