As heavy rains make Panampilly Nagar-Thevara road extremely dangerous for vehicles, incidents of four-wheelers and two-wheelers falling into pits dug by utility services are common. On Saturday, when a car fell into a large pothole on Koithara Road at half past midnight, it was a nightmarish experience for Shiraj Ernest and Pravitha Ernest, residents of the area who were in the car. The potholes were dug by the Kerala Water Authority for the AMRUT project months ago and remain unrepaired. Although the road was supposed to be repaired before the monsoon, that did not happen.

One side of the road, where pipes were laid, is raised like a ledge. The other side has become a ditch due to heavy rains. Traffic congestion is a given if a vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. The road, which was previously in good condition, was dug up by the Water Authority for laying pipes fuelling the woes of pedestrians and riders.

The local councillor, K P Lathika, says that the delay in road work is due to the contractor's negligence. The company stopped work because they couldn't get the metal needed for road levelling. They haven't even bothered to at least temporarily cover the potholes. Manorama News had reported on the deplorable condition of Koithara, Chakkalakkal, Lourdes Church, and Shipyard roads days earlier.

Residents say that the Water Authority dug up the tarred road, which was built to Bituminous Macadam and Bituminous Concrete (BM&BC) standards, but no repairs were carried out for a long time. Meanwhile, the deep pit was formed after some people started work on the road at night on May 30. No warning signs were placed either. The car fell into this newly created pothole. Locals say they were unaware of the ongoing road work. The occupants of the car escaped unhurt.