Pedestrians, motorists, residents and traders in the Edapally-Muthakunnam National Highway (NH) 66 corridor that is being widened as six lane are having a harrowing time due to dust, slush from work sites and inadequate barricading of areas with level differences between the existing narrow highway and its sides.
The dismantling of bus shelters has in turn led to commuters having to either wait for long under the scorching sun, or to jostle for space within thick plastic sheets that have been put up at a few places as a temporary measure.
Road-safety campaigner C.J. Johnson, who commutes along the stretch daily, said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) must emulate Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which used to sprinkle water at Kochi Metro work sites at frequent intervals, to lessen dust in the air. “I had taken this up with metro rail authorities since much of the metro corridor passed through heavily built-up and passenger-dense areas. The NHAI must adopt such practices as insisted upon in cities like New Delhi by the Commission of Air Quality Management, to improve the air-quality. Matters become worse when buses divert from paved road to halt at stops, engulfing the entire area in dust, affecting commuters the most. Personnel of Pollution Control Board have agreed to look into the issue, when I took up this health hazard with them,” he added.
