Drainage work on Mavoor Road in limbo.

The 100-m drainage being constructed is part of a Rs. 10-crore project of the city Corporation to avoid waterlogging in the city. The project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is being undertaken by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Programme (KSUDP) that has already completed parts of the project on Jafferkhan Colony Road and behind the Mofussil bus stand.

Half of the breadth of Mavoor Road has been dug up to lay the huge pipelines. Traffic has been banned on the stretch and diverted through Puthiyara Road, hence the confusion at the junction. The KSUDP plans to lay the pipelines till Azhakodi Road and then take them through a private property towards the Conolly canal. However, the said private property could not be acquired as the whereabouts of the owner are unknown. “The Corporation council has given approval to continue taking the pipeline through Mavoor Road to the Conolly canal, but this would mean that half of Mavoor Road will remain closed for at least another month,” KSUDP Project Manager K. Somasekhara Kaimal said.

'The existing drainage on the road is at east 50 years old and does not have the capacity to carry the water that accumulates at the bus stand junction during rain. The new 1.5-m-wide and tall drainage pipe, designed in consultation with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), has enough capacity to accommodate the water and hence will put an end to the problem,' Mr. Kaimal said, adding that the system might not be 100 per cent efficient as it also depended on the water level in the Conolly canal.

Mr. Kaimal appreciated the efforts of the traffic police in handling the situation. Even with the inconvenience caused by the traffic diversions, the public is likely to bear with it considering the advantages of the project. The drainage, when completed, will be a permanent solution to constant waterlogging on Mavoor Road during the monsoon season.



THE HINDU