Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam highway made a canal of accidents

As one side of the Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam highway is muddy now, KSRTC bus plunging into the pipe-line canal on Monday, June 17, 2013 when the monsoon is in its full swing

The highway with the abrupt curves, heaps and slope was already a risky path for the public to commute on daily basis therefore, there had been huge campaigns and agitation from the local civics on tunneling the Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam highway for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) to reach drinking water for Kochi from Piravom River. But blindly closing the eyes to all these protests and campaigns, K. Babu, Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Excise, nodded for the already-delayed pipe-laying project to woo the voters of his constituency and thus to have an easy win for the coming election.

Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam highway is made an inland waterway of accidents where so many accidents are being reported as one side of the road is muddy now and heavy vehicles and buses started to plunge into the pipe-line canal as the monsoon is in its full swing. I strongly, feel that if late Minister, T. M. Jacob, were alive there, this would not have been the current scenario of the road. Anoop Jacob being the first-time minister from Piravom constituency, where the road is made a canal now on the name of JnNURM project, can’t have strong bargaining with the senior minister, K. Babu.    

Pathetic of all this is the road from S. N. Junction to Kizhakkekotta in Trippunithara that was dug up for pipe-laying work by the Kerala Water Authority, this even can’t be called a road, it is full of potholes, damaged culverts and journeying through this road more like going for vehicle trekking.  

As one’s comfort is another’s discomfort, it is mere the fate of the public who tour on a daily basis from Kanjirapilli, Pala, Kottayam, Koothattukulam, Elanji and Piravam regions to Kochi for job and business purposes. The already existing traffic woes were made even miserable. The work was started off with the promise of tarring the road as and when a length of 1km pipe-laying works completed and nothing is done so far. All the promises given by Minister, K. Babu, are gone with wind and heavy rain. To keep the protesters soothed, the work was kick started near A. P. Varkey Hospital where the road has maximum width. When the pipe-laying was in progress there was awful traffic congestion and it was difficult for the professionals and business men working in Kochi to be punctual in office as well as it took extra hours to get back home. 

The amount of time and energy of a passenger being wasted are enormous and how all these could be paid off. The passengers are not demanding for road widening or making it curve-free but at least the authorities have the responsibility to maintain it, as it has been. The passengers who tour on daily basis from Kanjirapilli, Pala, Kottayam, Koothattukulam, Elanji and Piravom regions do not come in his (who initiated the entire project) vote bank so even if they are screwed up, his election result is not going to be affected. Above all, these passengers are not getting any benefit out of the whole project whereas only woes, being late to office as well as to home, wasting of their time and energy. Public from these regions have only choice for commute is on road, there is no railway nor water way.  

Thus, now the passengers travel same kilometers with long hours of journey. When the Ministers; MPs and MLAs, who travel in the luxury vehicle with police escort that too the general public clearing off the way for the ‘busy politicians’ who travel far and wide ‘supposedly’ to emancipate the general public, will see the real misery of a common man? These same leaders define politics as; it is all about serving people and who is served here.... rather… common man  is getting screwed up.

With the prayers and wishes that the concerned authority will open up their eyes and come out of their comfort zone and see the real languishes of common man………….