Thiruvananthapuram: A flyover in Kerala’s commercial capital, Kochi that is hardly three years old and is now in need of urgent repairs, has led to traffic commotion and triggered a controversy over fixing responsibility for the poor infrastructure development.
Flyovers take years to materialise in Kerala, and when a relatively new one like the Palarivattom flyover in Kochi develops structural problems, questions fly naturally.
Public works department minister G. Sudhakaran has alleged administrative and professional lapses by officials of the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala, and KITCO, a consultancy company, as well as the “apathy of the United Democratic Front government” for the dilapidated condition of the Palarivattom flyover.
The flyover was inaugurated only in 2016, but it was soon ridden with potholes and its expansion joints developed problems soon after.
Last week, the state government ordered a probe regarding the flyover project, to be conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Sudhakaran said officials responsible for the fiasco would be held accountable.
Besides official apathy, corruption is believed to have played a role in the poor condition of the new flyover. One study found that the adoption of inferior construction methods contributed to the flyover’s poor condition.
Former public works department minister Ebrahim Kunju blamed the agencies that oversaw the flyover construction, stating that the UDF government could not be blamed for the poor construction.
Repairs to the Palarivattom flyover are expected to cause extended traffic block in the city.
The creaky flyover is reflective of the transport infrastructure in the state which is under pressure both because of the steep rise in the number of vehicles and the general apathy towards maintenance of existing road infrastructure.
In recent years, Kerala has given focus on reviving some of its waterways that were the arteries of the state’s trade and commerce in the past. But these efforts have so far not made significant contributions to easing pressure off the congested road infrastructure.