[1]With the south-west monsoon making a late surge in the fag end of August, roads in the city are crumbling, unable to stand the new pattern of the monsoon.
Over a dozen roads are in a bad condition and if the present pattern of weather continues for a week, their condition will worsen, and many more roads, where potholes are developing, will be added to the list.
Unlike in the past, rains were a low-key affair in June and July and in the intermittent showers in the three months up to August, the roads lost strength slowly and only a few small potholes developed.
In August, the crumbling of roads and widening of the existing small potholes was accentuated, and the load from heavy vehicles added momentum to the process. The heavy rains are making repairs a difficult task at the moment.
The badly mauled roads include the main road in Thiruvankulam, Foreshore Road, the Edappally RoB, the road to Vyttila Mobility Hub, Vyttila-Thykoodam road, Vyttila junction, parts of Elamakkara, parts of Vennala, the approach road to the Venduruthy new bridge, Aalinchuvadu, Parts Broadway, the Market Road, parts of Chittoor-Cheranellore road, Kannankulangara mini bypass road in Tripunithura and Tripunithura Pettah junction.
“We are encountering a different pattern this time and are seeing the fast crumbling of roads only now. Re-tarring is not possible now but we will do patchwork, if specific complaints come,” said Soumini Jain, Kochi Corporation Works Standing Committee chairman.
PWD executive engineer Hashim P A said that once the current heavy rain subsides, the agency will start patch work.
He said that re-tarring of roads will be started only after the monsoon season. “All arrangements in this regard have been made,” he said.
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