3 weeks ago
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A labour shortage caused by migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam failing to instrumentality pursuing the Assembly elections, coupled with a scarcity of materials specified arsenic bitumen owed to the struggle successful West Asia, has hindered the ongoing widening of Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road successful Kozhikode.
An authoritative attached to the Kerala Road Fund Board told The Hindu that migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam relationship for a ample portion of the workforce, and that operation experienced setbacks erstwhile they returned to their location States for voting. While a conception has returned to enactment and operation is expected to beryllium revived soon, the scarcity of bitumen is yet to beryllium addressed.
According to the official, tarring successful immoderate areas, installation of postulation signs and thoroughfare lamps, footpath construction, and laying of slabs implicit drains remained unfinished. Preparations for the 2nd signifier of the Malaparamba-Vellimadukunnu roadworthy task are nether way, helium added.
While the connection for widening the 8.34-km Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu roadworthy by 24 metres, nether the Kozhikode City Road Improvement Project, was announced successful 2008–2009, operation commenced lone successful June 2025. Eight months later, Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas inaugurated the archetypal signifier of the 5.32-km Mananchira-Malaparamba agelong connected March 9, contempt it not being afloat complete.
The clearing of trees delayed operation activities, arsenic it had to beryllium ensured that the powerfulness proviso was not interrupted during the summer. Similarly, digging of drains had to beryllium done successful a cautious mode to debar severing inferior cables, including telephone lines, the authoritative said, adding that helium was incapable to corroborate erstwhile the roadworthy would beryllium afloat ready.
Trials to person the antecedently one-way roadworthy into a two-way roadworthy volition beryllium carried retired upon the completion of the road. However, a fewer motorists are already utilizing the roadworthy arsenic a two-way stretch, raising concerns astir information and postulation congestion astatine Malaparamba.
Meanwhile, successful the lead-up to the monsoon, laying slabs implicit drains remains a substance of concern. “Slabs covering drains person been laid lone successful beforehand of shops, portion alloy rods protruding from incomplete operation are posing a information hazard,” said a nonmigratory of Malaparamba.
Junaid Farhath, an architect, said the authorities should facilitate pedestrian facilities and wheelchair entree astatine antithetic intersections erstwhile the road, which passes done the bosom of the city, is complete.
