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New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Thevara gridlock cripples commute, students bear brunt of traffic chaos
KOCHI: A serpentine queue of vehicles during peak hours is a daily affair at Thevara, both morning and evening. The heavy flow of vehicles along the narrow Thevara Junction-Ferry stretch and the two-lane 1.75-km Kundannoor-Thevara bridge has turned the four-way intersection there into a commuter's nightmare, particularly for scores of students struggling to reach school on time. With the area hosting at least three prominent schools and a college, Thevara is a vital educational hub. Yet, its limited access points mean students and other commuters face agonising delays, especially during the monsoon. Rains this season have exacerbated the problem, with crevices on the bridge's tarred surface worsening an already precarious situation. 'We barely get rides in the area. Rush hour is our prime time, but with so much traffic, we can hardly complete the trips we get,' lamented Suresh K J, a Thevara-based autorickshaw driver, highlighting the economic toll on local transport providers. Concerns are mounting over the bridge needing repeated maintenance work. 'The bridge surface was claimed to be tarred with German technology, guaranteeing longevity, yet problems appeared within four months of the completion of the work,' rued Maradu municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil. 'As the season changes, the issue of tar melting and turning into small humps is going worsen, directly hindering timely travel.' The gridlock peaks between 7.30am and 10am, a period characterised by a heavy convergence of school and college students alongside office-goers. 'It is a daily struggle to get children to school on time in this traffic; the commute is incredibly difficult,' said Antony Raj, a concerned father of a school student. While evenings are slightly less chaotic due to staggered timings, the morning rush remains a source of constant stress for families. The congestion also impacts local businesses and tourist attractions. The Folklore Museum at Thevara, despite opening at 9am, sees very few visitors in the morning. 'With school reopening, even crossing the Alexander Parambithara Bridge (connecting the southern side of Willingdon Island) has become hard. I reach work late every day, and we rarely get any visitors in the morning. They arrive only around noon,' a museum employee said.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chambakkara Canal protection wall collapse raises public safety concerns
Tripunithura: A 50-m stretch of protection wall along Chambakkara Canal collapsed on Wednesday night, bringing traffic along the busy Kannadikadu-Chambakkara Canal Road to a complete halt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident followed heavy rainfall and years of structural neglect, raising serious questions about safety and planning of canal-side infrastructure. The collapsed section lies on wards 2, 3 and 4 of Maradu municipality, where a safety fence and footpath were recently constructed as part of Canal Shore Beautification project. However, opposition councillors of the municipality alleged that the work, done using ₹62 lakh from MLA fund, was unscientific and ignored the weak base of the existing protection wall, which is over 40 years old. Following the incident, a parked car was saved with the help of fire and rescue services and locals after it slid dangerously close to the collapsed area. According to ward 5 councillor Sheeja Sankumar, she earlier raised concerns about the vulnerability of the protection wall stretch in her ward, particularly due to frequent movement of barges transporting chemicals to FACT plant in Ambalamugal. She submitted a written complaint to irrigation department and raised the issue in the municipal council, warning of the dangers. However, she alleges that the council, dominated by ruling UDF councillors, went ahead with beautification projects in their wards while ignoring the high-risk ward 5. Meanwhile, municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil told TOI that he has written to district collector, urging immediate action under disaster management plan. "The collapsed structure is a 40-year-old side wall maintained by inland waterways department. Similar incidents occurred at other sections in the past. Municipal council passed a resolution last year demanding urgent intervention in the matter," said Ashanparambil. Municipality opposition leader CR Shanavas demanded a detailed inquiry into the alleged irregularities that led to the collapse of the protection wall.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Maradu municipality approves Rs 3,000 monthly honorarium for ASHAs
Kochi: In a significant move to address long-standing demands, Maradu municipality approved a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000 for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). The decision was taken during an emergency council meeting convened on Friday and marks a crucial step towards recognizing the contributions of grassroots health move follows persistent protests and formal appeals by ASHAs, who sent letters to local self-government minister, principal director, district planning committee and other officials, demanding a hike in monthly pay. The proposal was passed unanimously, except for one abstention by division 1 councillor and ASHA worker Shalini Anil Raj, who opted out of the the municipality earmarked an additional Rs 2,000 in its annual budget as a special allocation for ASHAs. However, implementing this provision required both council approval and state govt sanction. The recent council meeting not only endorsed the proposal but also agreed to increase the amount to Rs 3,000 per worker per month."Ashas play a key role in Maradu's health services. When there is a collective struggle by them, we found it important to take an initiative to support them," said municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil. Earlier, Ashanparambil donated his monthly honorarium to ASHAs in solidarity with their protest in added that the resolution has now been forwarded to state govt for final approval and requested that necessary steps be taken to ensure immediate implementation of the decision.
