While school reopening is just around the corner, many roads in Kollam district, including some in Kollam city, remain in a state of utter disrepair. It has been several months since the State highway from the Kollam railway station to Ayathil was closed, causing great inconvenience to commuters, including pedestrians.
Residents fear that there will be long traffic snarls on alternative routes once schools and colleges reopen. “They had first closed a very long stretch, but the repair work wasn’t progressing. The authorities were well aware of the upcoming monsoon season but did nothing to expedite the work. They simply dug up the road and left it that way for a long time and now they are complaining about rain causing the delay,” says Ajith Kumar, a resident.
The district administration had earlier assured to complete road repairs at various places on a war footing. Collector Afsana Parveen had instructed to opt for temporary solutions if more time was needed to complete the formalities and procedures. Though the Public Works department had floated tenders, contractors were not ready to take up works at low rates.
